NU Archives Policy

Collected Materials

In general, materials produced by the University, its employees acting in their official capacity or students participating in a University sanctioned activities will be collected. Specific categories of materials include:

NU History

  • Artifacts including ex-libris books.
  • Historical and governance documents.
  • Histories of the University and biographies of key personnel.
  • Maps and architectural drawings.
  • Press clippings about the University from non-NU sources.
  • University websites.

    • Events and Photos

  • Photographs
  • Audio and video recordings of chapel services, commencements, and other University events.
  • Ephemera including invitations, programs, posters, flyers, handouts, playbills, etc.

    • NU Publications

  • Catalogs, yearbooks, magazines, and newsletters and other periodicals published by the University.

    • Scholarship

  • Theses and Dissertations completed at the University.
  • Faculty, staff and student publications.
  • Course records including syllabi, exams, handouts, notes, etc.

    • People and Organizations

  • Records of individuals, churches, and other organizations associated with the University. Digital archiving with the NU Archives does not preclude future donation to a denominational or traditional archive.

    • Department and Committee Records

  • Minutes, reports and other records produced by NU committees and departments. Participating departments may administrate their own records if desired.

    • Digitization and Preservation

  • All materials will be digitized as time and funds permit.
  • Some materials may be collected or retained only in digital format.
  • Materials created in a digital format should be retained in a digital format.
  • Preferred digital formats include PDF/A, JPEG, MP3, MP4/H264.
  • Materials donated by individuals and organizations will be returned to the donor after digitization unless agreed in advance by both parties.
  • Physical preservation will be limited to archival boxes and folders and the maintenance of a climate controlled environment.
  • Copyright holders who are submitting materials to the archive must sign a deposit agreement.

    • Access

    Access to materials may be restricted due to copyrighted, personal or privileged content.

  • Public - items can be searched and retrieved by anyone.
  • Copyrighted - Item metadata and content snippets appear in search results. Access to full text of the item is restricted to current NU account holders.
  • Restricted - Items only appear in search results if the user is logged in as a current NU staff member. Includes department and committee records.
  • Private - Only searchable and accessible by archive administrators. Includes student and personnel records. These items are not routinely collected by the Archives.
  • Embargoed - Individual donors may request that materials they submit to the archives be restricted for a predetermined period of time. Embargoed items are the same as Private items until the embargo is lifted.