Archives and Rare Books Collection Development Policy
The following policy outlines Campbell University’s collecting strategy for its archive and rare books collection. Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia policies heavily informed this document. We gratefully acknowledge their permission to adopt language from their polices.
The Campbell University Libraries’ Archive (Archive) houses 380 linear feet of manuscript materials and approximately 1,400 rare books. The collections are currently weighted heavily toward institutional history. Our primary audience is Campbell University’s faculty, students, and staff. As the collections grow and develop, the Archive aspires to meet the research needs of scholars outside the institution as well.
The Archive places no overall geographical, linguistic, or chronological limitations on the scope of materials to be collected. Rare, useful, and unique materials that are offered to the Archive will be considered. The following bullets describe our current collecting areas. While we aim to build upon existing strengths to develop deeper, information-rich collections, we will also consider expanding into new areas when there are compelling reasons to do so and resources to support the expansion.
Manuscript Collections
- Collections that document the history of the University.
- The papers of individuals who have a close association with the University, such as Gilbert Stephenson.
- North Carolina Collection with an emphasis on Harnett County and Sandhills area.
- Rural education and rural life.
- Prominent Baptist thinkers/theologians.
- Tribal communities in Harnett County.
Rare Books
- Books published before 1700 in Western Europe or 1820 in the United States.
- Books from editions limited to 300 or fewer, but not vanity presses.
- Significant editions of major authors, usually first editions.
- Books valued at $1,000 or more.
- Books authored by faculty members.
The Archive welcomes gifts of rare books, manuscript collections, certain three dimensional objects, and other cultural heritage materials. However, due to the high cost of processing and storage, the Archive is unable to accept all gifts. Although exceptions may be made for rare and unique items, materials that fall outside of our collecting policy or duplicate current holdings generally cannot be accepted. The Archive staff also consider factors such as physical condition and gift terms in making acquisition decisions.
The Archive’s staff cannot provide tax advice, nor can we appraise materials, either formally or informally. On occasion, the Archive’s staff may identify materials ranging from individual items to entire collections that are appropriate for deaccessioning. These materials may be damaged, duplicative, or deemed outside of scope for the collecting strategy.
