The frequently asked questions and their answers in this guide are related to the Archives space in Curry Hall. For more information click the link below.
Q: How can I contact the William Jewell College Archives and W.E. Partee Center?
A: You can send an e-mail to swarchives@william.jewell.edu. Furthermore, you may also call (816) 415-7620.
Q: Where are the Archives located?
A: The Archives are located on the intermediate floor of Curry Library. Please note that the Archives are closed to public access; access to the Archives is by appointment only.
Q: Are the Archives open to public access?
A: The Archives are closed to public access. However, you may request access to Archives resources by submitting an information research request form or by scheduling a research appointment. For other needs, such as inquiries concerning donations, please e-mail swarchives@william.jewell.edu. Furthermore, you may also call (816) 415-7620.
Q: What is an information research request?
A: An information research request form is used by patrons to locate information about a specific document, manuscript, photo, person, or building associated with the Jewell Archives or the Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies.
Before submitting an information research request, please peruse our online inventories (click here for our Archives inventory, and here for our Partee inventory) to ensure that the material you are looking for is in fact found in our collections (please note that the document titled "Archives Collection Shelving" is a rough approximation of where materials are; the Archives shelving in this area is still undergoing maintenance following an environmental issue).
Q: How do I submit an information research request?
A: You may submit an information research request form via the following link:
Q: When is it appropriate to submit an information research request?
A: It is appropriate for a patron to submit an information research request form when a patron is looking for information on a specific document, manuscript, photo, person, or building associated with the Jewell Archives or the Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies. For example, if a patron is interested in learning more about Marston Hall, a building on Jewell's campus, then the patron may go ahead and submit a form.
It is not appropriate for patrons to use a research request form to ask for information about very broad areas of research. For example, it is not appropriate to use the research request form to request information about all the faculty, present and past, associated with William Jewell College. When submitting a research request, patrons are advised to be as specific as possible and provide as much detail as to what the nature of the request is. The more specific and the more detailed a request, the more likely that this request will be fulfilled by Archives staff.
If you are interested in information on a very broad topic, it would be best to get in contact with the Director of Library Services and/or the Archives Student Manager as they can help you to narrow down precisely what materials you would like access to. For very broad research projects, while the research request form is inappropriate, contacting the Director of Library Services at least a semester in advance to help begin the research process is appropriate.
Please ensure that you have perused our online inventories (click here for our Archives inventories, and here for Partee inventories) to ensure that our collections do in fact have material that is pertinent to your request before submitting a research request.
Q: Who can submit a research request?
Members of the public and members of the Jewell community alike are invited to submit a research request form. Members of the public should note; however, that some of the items within Archives and Partee collections have some circulation limitations that may inhibit a member of the public's access to them. For more information in terms of access to specific collections, please view our Archives Collection Policy or contact the Director of Library Services.
Q: How long will it take to process my information research request?
A: The amount of time it takes to process a research request depends on the scope, format, and number of materials requested. On average, a research request takes a month to fulfill.
Q: How will I know when my research request has been fulfilled?
A: Archives Staff will e-mail you concerning the status of your research request through the Wufoo form that you submitted to begin the request process. Apart from sending you the materials you have asked for through this form, Archives staff may also use the form to contact you about any problems concerning your research request and to ask further question to clarify the nature of the request. Finally, Archives staff may also periodically update you as to the status of you request using this Wufoo form via e-mail.
Q: How can I check the status of my research request?
A: Archives staff will periodically update you as to the status of your request using the Wufoo form you submitted to begin the request. A copy of this form and the updates listed by staff will be made available to you via your provided e-mail. You may also request updates directly by e-mailing swarchives@william.jewell.edu. In your e-mail communications, please ensure that you indicate the date in which you submitted your research request, the name associated with the request form (as listed on the Wufoo form), as well as the materials you requested, in order to facilitate communications between yourself and Archival staff.
Q: How will my requested materials be made available to me?
A: Archives staff will most likely e-mail you a digitized copy of your requested materials as a .pdf attachment or OneDrive link through the Wufoo form you submitted to begin your research request. In the event that the Director of Library Services or the Student Manager determine that your needs may be better met by you scheduling a research appointment, you will be contacted directly through your provided e-mail address.
Q: What can I do if my request for information goes unfilled?
A: Archives staff does its best to provide access to as much information as possible to patrons. However, there are some cases where the material requested is 1) inaccessible or otherwise not found or 2) not capable of being disseminated per copyright or privacy permissions.
In the event that a research request is unfilled, the patron will be e-mailed a copy of the Wufoo form providing rationale as to why the research request went unfilled. If after this rationale you still have questions concerning your research request or you would like help in narrowing down your request, then feel free to email swarchives@william.jewell.edu.
Patrons should recall that, the more specific and the more detailed a research request is, the more likely that the request will be fulfilled.
Q: What is a research appointment request?
A: A research appointment request form may be used by patrons in order to request in-person access to the Archives to peruse previously identified materials. Archives staff will assign patrons a reading room area and pull out materials which the patron has requested access to.
Q: How do I submit a research appointment request?
A: You may submit a research appointment request via the following link:
Please note that research appointment requests must be made and approved 24 hours from the appointment's scheduled date.
Q: Who can submit a research appointment request?
A: Members of the public and members of the Jewell community alike are welcome to submit a research appointment request. Please note that access to the Archives is limited to two people per research block. It is possible for a patron to bring an assistant, but the patron must specify this within the research appointment request and/or in communication with the Director of Library Services and/or the Archives Student Manager so as to avoid overbooking. Failure to indicate that an assistant is being brought to the research appointment timeslot will result in a denied admission for the assistant.
Q: How do I prepare for a research appointment?
A: Patrons should access the Archives online inventories (Archives inventory & Partee inventory) and indicate within their research appointment request form and/or in their communications with the Director of Library Services which materials they would like to access during the research appointment. This communication constitutes the patron's pull slip, which is used by Archival staff beforehand to locate copies of the material that the patron wants and make them readily available to the patron. Patrons are not allowed into the collection circulation area, as the material there is fragile, expensive, unique, or all three. Instead, materials are brought to the patron's assigned reading room area, where the patron may then peruse request items one at a time.
It should be noted that if the material that the patron would like access to is already previously digitized or can be make readily available through digitization, then Archives staff has the discretion to cancel the research appointment request and instead sent patrons digitized copies of the materials requested.
Furthermore, handling Archives material calls for the use of gloves, provided by Archives staff at the time of the research appointment. Finally, patrons are advised to wear a facial mask during their research appointments, as environmental conditions within the Archives are poor. Archives staff can provide masks upon request during the research appointment.
Q: What is the procedure for a research appointment?
A: Information about our research appointment procedure can be found in the Archives/Partee Center Research tab of this guide, alongside more information about information research requests.
Q: What are the hours available for research appointments?
A: Information about hours in terms of research appointments can be found on the research appointment form itself, as this form requires picking a particular time slot. For questions about future availability or potential alternative times for appointments, please contact the Director of Library Services and/or the Archives Student Manager.
Q: What is a donation request?
A: There are two kinds of donation requests. The first kind of donation request is a Deed of Gift request, which is used to begin the process of potentially donating items to the Archives and/or Partee Center when the patron is not part of the Jewell community. Individuals who are not part of the Jewell community include individuals affiliated with Baptist churches in Missouri, members of the Liberty community, and members of Clay County.
The second kind of donation request is an Internal Transfer of Records request, which is used to begin the process of potentially donating items to the Archives and/or Partee Center when the patron is part of the Jewell community. Individuals who are part of the Jewell community include staff (including retired staff), faculty (including retired faculty), alumni, members of the Board of Trustees (including retired Trustee members), and students.
Q: How do I request to donate items?
A: In order to request to donate items, whether this be a Deed of Gift or an Internal Transfer of Records quest, please contact swarchives@william.jewell.edu. You may also call (816) 415-7620. In your communications with the Archives, please state your relation to William Jewell College (if any), your name, your contact information, and a short description of the items which you are looking to donate. Archives staff will then follow up on your request according to the discretion of the Director of Library Services and/or the Archives Student Manager.
Q: How do you determine whether an item is eligible to be accepted as a donation?
A: Archives staff base their decision (whether this donation be either a Deed of Gift or a Transfer of Records) on our Gift Acceptance Policy and Collections Policy. Deed of Gifts are subject to the specific Deed of Gift Policy, while Internal Transfer of Records are subject to the Internal Transfer of Records policy. For more information on these policies, please see our Archives policy library.
Archives staff have the right to accept or decline donations (Deed of Gift or Internal Transfer of Records) at the Archives' discretion. In general, donations are accepted if staff determine that 1) the item is relevant to the mission and collection of the Archives and/or Partee Center, 2) there is available space in the Archives for storage of the material, 3) the Archives does not have more than 2 copies of the material which you are looking to donate, and 4) the material you are looking to donate is in decent condition.
Q: Is it possible for me to sell items to the Archives and/or Partee Center?
Generally speaking, Archives staff do not purchase items from individuals to add to the collection. If you are interested in potentially selling items to the Archives and/or Partee Center, please contact the Director of Library Services.
Q: Do Archives staff pick up materials I am looking to donate or will I have to drop them off at the Archives?
A: Archives staff generally do not pick up material from donors. Instead, donors must come in person to drop off donated materials (and to have these materials be assessed for donation eligibility to begin with). To schedule a time to come drop off materials, please contact the Director of Library Services or the Archives Student Manager.
Alternatively, you may fill out a research appointment request and stipulate within the form that you would like to initiate donation procedures. Please make sure that, whatever communication avenue you choose (either by contacting the Director of Library Services and/or the Archives Student Manager directly or by filling out a research appointment form), a brief description of the materials you are looking to donate (in terms of amount, format, scope, and condition) is given.