Transferring Student Engagement, Club, and Organization Material

The University Archives & Special Collections Department acquires a variety of material documenting daily activities and special events of students at the university. This can include digital recordings you’ve shot of an interesting campus event, scrapbooks your student club has created, meeting minutes of your organization, and much more. Transferring and donating material is free and easy. 

• Types of Records Accepted

  Types of records typically acquired include, but are not limited to (hard copy or digital):

  • Scrapbooks and photographs of activities, social events, and everyday student life 
  • Film and video recordings of student performances, campus, and group activities 
  • Membership lists 
  • Organizational histories 
  • Publications and publicity material:  newsletters, brochures, event programs and booklets 
  • Officers’ files:  correspondence and memorandum (incoming and outgoing) and subject files concerning projects, activities, and functions of clubs and organizations
  • Meeting minutes 
  • Diaries reflecting student life 
  • Memorabilia with historic significance 

  Items generally not transferred to the archives include: 

  • Duplicate and blank forms 
  • Detailed financial records, canceled checks, bank statements, and receipts 
  • Plaques and trophies 
  • Routine correspondence/mail 
  • Memorabilia with little research or innate value (e.g. t-shirts and water bottles with your organization’s name/logo) 
• How do I transfer my organization's records? 

   * Please fill out a transfer form to accompany your materials. Please contact Archives & Special Collections at library.archives@unco.edu or 970-351-2854 if you have any questions.

  Three easy ways to transfer: 

  • Grab a flash drive from the Office of Student Engagement (2101 10th Avenue) or the University Archives (Michener L119). Return to either location.
  • Via electronic transfer: email library.archives@unco.edu for instructions  
  • Drop off physical and electronic materials at Michener Library, L119 (lower level, by the stairs!) 
• Tips for preserving your group's history
  • Save electronic records stored on compact discs, flash drives, and your computer as well paper records. These tips apply to both! 
  • Document the activities of your group: keep minutes of meetings, save copies of publications and flyers. 
  • Label your materials/folders with full names, dates, and descriptions of events or circumstances. 
  • Keep your records together in one central place. 
  • Develop a straightforward filing system that works for you. 
  • Store your records away from dampness, dust, excessive heat, and sun. 
  • Develop a routine of transferring inactive records to the University Archives at the end of the semester, year, or leader's term of office. 
  • Consider appointing a group historian or archivist who can manage and transfer the records. 
  • Contact an archivist for help and advice with maintaining and transferring files. 
  • WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T THROW IT OUT! 
• How do I access my organization's archival records?

  Archives & Special Collections staff will provide you with reference assistance when you would like to access the records after the transfer. You will need to come in to the Archives & Special Collections Reading Room during open hours. Requests from your office to borrow material that you transferred may be accommodated in special circumstances. 

  Please visit Student Engagement, Student Organization, and Alumni Materials for more information about finding material within the university archives.