Where should your research go? Donating to an archive

All family historians should decide where to deposit their research when they decide it is complete (or as complete as they want it) or after their passing. Before you decide, you should determine whether an interested relative wants to continue the quest. Sometimes you already know this, but otherwise you should ask. Relatives who work in digital media might prefer that you donate originals and provide them with digital copies. Another possibility is for you to continue researching while sharing with the interested relative(s).

An important consideration is identifying or sourcing research materials so that someone who is unfamiliar with it would know what they are. For example, are people in your photographs identified? Are sources for materials cited on the reverse of hard copies or attached/included in digital files?

Your research should have at least a basic organizational scheme. At a minimum, this would be keeping your family research separate from other important papers. Separate paper or digital files for surnames and/or individual ancestors or families is even better. If an ancestor lived in several locations, separate research from each site.

If your children or other relatives are uninterested, but you still want your research preserved for and accessible to other researchers, consider donating to a manuscript collection. There are many options, and you should investigate before donating.

First, find an archive that is the best "fit" for your collection. Some collections reject genealogical collections, others may select key documents, while others may take the whole collection. Few archival collections offer the latter option because of space limitations. Some examples of distinct types of archives are special collections and archives (which usual focus on specific topics or locations), county or local history archives for local genealogy materials, and state-level archives for a collection encompassing multiple locations in that state.

Some family historians place the greatest consideration for their donation on location. That is, they want their materials available in a specific place. If this is most important to you, check first to see if there is an archive in that locality that accepts personal papers.

Genealogists appreciate accessible records, and this should be a crucial consideration for your donation. Archives range from those open a few hours a week in summer (inaccessible) to those open six days a week for up to eight hours daily. Others open by appointment only.

The mode for genealogical research is online, and accessibility is best if archives are members of ArchiveGrid. Members are usually larger and have catalogs or finding aids searchable through ArchiveGrid. Similarly, online access and searching of digitized records is available for many archives, typically larger ones. Another consideration for accessibility is whether the archive creates good finding aids for manuscript collections. (I discussed finding aids in an earlier column.)

A crucial question to ask before you donate involves the permanence of the archive. That is, what will happen to the collections if the archive ceases to exist? Related questions involve the permanence of funding for the repository, storage conditions for documents, access to document conservation expertise and resources, storage conditions for collections, and whether the repository can work with the media you are donating. Remember you are donating to a repository, not the individuals who work there. Too many potential donors trust individuals at the repository and fail to check on policies and procedures. Learn about the archives, visit them, and ask questions.

Some donors desire that original documents or ledgers appear in a museum. Ask yourself if this is practical. Displayed items tend to deteriorate more quickly in bright light, and if there is no context provided the items are of little interest to visitors. Additionally, most museums have rotating displays, so materials are usually in storage.

Once you decide to donate, reputable archives require that you sign a deed of gift. This is a formal and legal agreement between the donor and the repository that transfers ownership of and legal rights to the donated materials. Most deed of gift forms allow donors to provide a description of the materials and ask about disposition of materials the archive does not want. Most archives take original documents and written materials from your research, and do not wish to take photocopies from readily available sources or worksheets. In the deed of gift, you can specify materials not retained can be returned to you or discarded.

Among the things to avoid is asking for payment because few archives have large budgets. While archives can recommend appraisers, do not ask them for an appraisal. Once you have signed a deed of gift, it is technically illegal to remove items from the donation. You should also avoid dropping off materials without prior consultation. For additional information, see www2.archivists.org/publications/brochures/donating-familyrecs.