Jewell Archives and Partee Center: Archives FAQ

Q: How can I view inventories of collection holdings?
A: Please peruse our online inventories (click here for our Archives inventory, and here for our Partee inventory) to gain a better understanding of the collections. Please note that the inventories may be incomplete and 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: 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.