Lecture 4 - Terminology

Donations and
Deed of Gift

Definition:

Most archives receive many acquisitions through donations, be it local citizens, private institutions, groups or associations. One must avoid accepting items that are inappropriate to your archives mission statement and collection policy.

Always complete a Deed of Gift form for all donations. This form transfers ownership of records from the donor to the archives. This form includes:

Name of the donor
Name of the recipient archives
Description of the material
Conditions of deposit or access restrictions (if any)
A statement indicating transfer of ownership (and copyright)
Date of the acquisition
Signatures of both the archivist and the donor

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