Transferring Records to the Archives
Emory University Archives is the official repository of all university records of enduring significance. The University Archives works with schools, departments, and administrative units to appraise the records they create and to select those that need to be preserved for future use. The process for transferring university records to the archives is outlined below.
Individuals such as faculty, alumni, students, and friends of the University interested in donating materials to the Archives will follow a different procedure and should contact Becky Sherman (becky.sherman@emory.edu) to discuss donation.
How to Transfer Records
1. Identify potential records to transfer
a. Consult the Records Retention Schedules for information about categories of records that are permanent records and required to be transferred to the archives.
b. The university archives also collects other types of records, as outlined in the Emory University Archives Collecting Policy.
2. Contact Becky Sherman (becky.sherman@emory.edu) to discuss your materials and whether they are good candidates to transfer to the archives.
a. Be prepared to discuss details including the quantity and format of materials (i.e. paper records, electronic records, audiovisual materials, etc.).
b. Consider if the records contain sensitive content that may need to be restricted such as student or personnel records. Refer to the Emory University Archives Access Policy for more information about how the University Archives handles restricted information in archival records.
3. Prepare your materials for transfer:
a. Pack paper records and physical media into boxes.
b. Gather and organize electronic records, ensuring file names are logical and understandable by users outside your office. Consider arranging them into groupings based on content, format, or function so that you can describe and transfer them in batches.
4. Complete the appropriate transfer form based on the format of the materials:
a. For transfers that are entirely electronic with no physical media to transfer, use the transfer form and upload tool in our electronic submission portal. You can submit the electronic transfer form multiple times but will not be able to view previously submitted files, so please keep track of which files you upload during each session. For technical questions regarding electronic file transfers, please contact Katherine Fisher, Head of Digital Archives (katherine.fisher2@emory.edu).
b. For paper records, electronic records on physical media such as disks or hard drives, and audiovisual materials on physical media, use the Emory University Archives Transfer Form. Include an inventory of the records, if available.
c. If a transfer includes both paper records and electronic records, submit a separate transfer form for each component.
5. Contact Becky Sherman (becky.sherman@emory.edu) to arrange for the transfer of physical materials.
With time, records in the Emory University Archives are processed and made available to researchers. You can browse Emory's finding aids for examples of how collections are arranged and described.