University of Minnesota
Immigration History Research Center
ihrc@umn.edu
612-625-4800


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Home > Support the IHRC : Donating Materials

Donating Materials to an Archive

The IHRC is currently postponing all gift acquisitions due to our need to compact and make accessible our collections. We do, however, encourage people who have or know of potentially relevant material to contact us in order that arrangements might be made in the future or in the event that special circumstances require imediate placement at another repository. In any case, it is important that recommendations or offers of material be discussed in advance with our curatorial staff. Please call, write, or e-mail IHRC Program Director.

What types of items are in the IHRC collections?

The IHRC is commited to helping to preserve historical materials that document immigration and ethnic life in America. All of our IHRC holdings can be searched on our Reasearch Collections page. Among the materials we collect are:

  • Personal Papers

Correspondence, diaries, photographs, unpublished manuscripts, family narratives, and oral histories, sheet music and music scores (published or unpublished)

  • Ethnic Community Materials

Ethnic newspapers and magazines, books, pamphlets, photographs, church bulletins, posters, flyers, and announcements of community events

  • Organization Records

Meeting minutes, correspondence, by-laws and constitutions, publications, ledgers and membership rosters, and financial records

  • Non-Print Materials

Photographs and photo albums, all formats of moving images (movies), video tapes, audio tape and phonograph records, and microfilm

The IHRC does not procur historical artifacts such as craft objects, clothing, tools, and utensils. Those materials properly belong in a museum environment where they can be cared for and exhibited.

Preparing Materials for Donation

It is very important that you contact the curatorial staff to discuss future donation of materials. We will advise you on how to preserve materials at your location. Please call, write, or e-mail IHRC Program Director.

Keep the Materials in their Current Order

There is no need to make a special effort to arrange or rearrange the materials, as the arrangement may have historical significance. As much as possible, try to maintain the original order of the documents, including placement of photographs.

Don't Worry if the Materials are in a Foreign Language

Many valuable materials are in languages other than English. We rely on multilingual staff members or friends from the various ethnic communities to help us with non-English materials.

When Dealing with Fragile Materials, Handle them with Care

Whenever possible, place in unsealed plastic bags (similar in size to fragile items) or in unsealed manila envelopes, keeping them in order as you are placing the materials in boxes.

The following suggestions are optional, but helpful to archival staff in processing materials:

Provide Historical or Biographical Information about the Collection

This information helps archivists in processing the collection accurately. A list of materials helps also.

Identify Unmarked Materials

If this is possible, it is again helpful for processing efforts. Should you be able to identify photographs, please do so on the back of the photograph lightly in pencil.

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