1.
Students, Alumni,
Staff & Faculty:
Secure Your History
in IWU’s Archives
A public service
announcement by
University Archivist
Meg Miner

2.
What is the University Archives?
 IWU’s historical collections dating from 1850-today.
 The office charged with collecting and preserving the
history of our university and its people, and with advising
our campus community about the same.
 A resource for student, alumni, staff, faculty and the
larger community seeking to explore unique historical,
genealogical and educational opportunities.
 Home to people who can help you research questions
on all sorts of historical topics.
 A place on The Ames Library’s 4th
floor.
We look a little formal but we’re
really all about you!

3.
What we collect
Evidence of a group’s purpose and achievements
Constitutions, charters, and by-
laws
Minutes and reports of meetings,
policies and member lists
1850: IWU “Birth Certificate”
1932: First Senate Constitution
that we have a copy of. The
“Student Union” was the
group’s name when founded
in 1915.

4.
What we collect
Products that demonstrate a group’s work
Publications like reports, journals,
newsletters, brochures, programs
Substantive correspondence of
officers/administrators
Course syllabi
Organizational histories
Audio-visuals: photographs,
films (ask for file size advice)
Artifacts and memorabilia
(in limited quantities)

5.
What we collect
Evidence of individuals’ work (collected or created)
Honors’ and peer-reviewed
conference projects, class news
Scrapbooks (e- or print,
documenting a group or a
person’s IWU experience)
Audio-visuals: photographs,
films (ask for file size advice)
Artifacts and memorabilia (in
limited quantities)

6.
What we don’t need
 Records of specific financial transactions.
 Routine messages of transmittal and
acknowledgment.
 Non-personally addressed correspondence such as
“Dear Student Leader” (except for one record copy
from the issuing office).
 Replies to questionnaires if the results are recorded
and preserved either in the Archives or in a
published report.
 Blank forms
 Plaques or trophies

7.
How you can help
1. Document your activities: keep minutes of meetings, save copies of
publications and flyers, save just a few photographs --you decide
what’s representative/significant.
2. Unnamed files are at risk! Label your materials with full names, dates,
and descriptions of events or circumstances. Use descriptive e-content
names that start with dates: YYYY-MM-DD_{event_or_person_name}.
Don’t use spaces in file names or characters like ‘ , “ & % !
3. Keep your records together in one central place.
4. Develop a straightforward filing system that works for you.
5. Electronic records can pose software and hardware access
problems over time, so develop a routine of transferring inactive
records to the University Archives at the end of the semester, year, or
leader's term of office.
9. WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T THROW IT OUT! Contact your archivist first 

8.
Our Motto:
"kNOw records, kNOw history"
Preserving Your History for the Future!
Contact your archivist Meg Miner
x1538; mminer@iwu.edu
Located in Tate Archives & Special Collections,
Room 401, of The Ames Library.