American Archives Month

October is American Archives Month! You might be asking yourself: "What is an archives?" Good question! Archives maintain the non-current records of individuals, groups, institutions, and governments that contain information of enduring value. The purpose of an archives is to collect, organize, and preserve records to make them accessible to the public. That includes YOU and anyone else who wants to know about this university's history.

The Shippensburg University Archives is where we preserve records that document the university's origins and development, including the activities and achievements of its offices, faculty, students, and alumni. We also maintain Special Collections, which include unique and rare books about Pennsylvania history and other interesting topics.

The Shippensburg University Archives are your archives. We strive to preserve the university's history--which, as a Shippensburg University student, alum, faculty member, staff member, administrator, or friend--is your history! If you want to learn more about any aspect of the history of the university (a sports team, building, academic department, or relative who attended Ship), just ask!

Are you wondering how we have all of this information? The Archives collects records from many different members of our campus community in order to preserve this history for use by future Ship students, personnel, and the public. We can't do it without you! Below are examples of the types of materials we collect from folks all over campus and beyond.

Students: Do you belong to a student club and have group photos, flyers, or meeting minutes? Did you keep a journal while studying abroad? Have you written a paper about any aspect of SU history for one of your classes?

Alumni: Did you make scrapbooks documenting your college experience at SU (or for some of you, Shippensburg State College)? Do you have programs or other materials from class reunions? Are you still hanging on to memorabilia from your Ship days such as trophies, recordings of campus sporting events, clothing or pennants?

Personnel: Are you cleaning out a filing cabinet and wondering if certain records from your office or department belong in the archives? Consult the university's Records Retention Policy.

Faculty: Do you have syllabi from courses you no longer teach? Have you published a book you would like to have included in the SU Authors Collection at the library?

Want to know more about archives? Luckily for you, the National Archives & Records Administration created this brief but informative flyer that explains how archives fit into your life. The Society of American Archivists, a professional association for our nation's archivists, can also provide you with a wealth of information. Or, ask Ship's Archivist & Special Collections Librarian--Christy Fic.

Shippensburg University Archives & Special Collections is here to serve you! Contact us by email: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516. We look forward to hearing from you.