n. (also collections policy)synonym for collecting policySuelflow 1980, 11The purpose of a well-defined collection policy is to protect the archives from a deluge of unwanted paper and an obligation to preserve it all.Reed-Scott 1984, 24–25Nevertheless, written collection policies are needed for all archives. They have many benefits. By defining the inclusion or exclusion of materials, they sharpen the focus of the collecting strategy and concentrate accessions in a clearly defined area. To that end, they are vital tools in dealing with donors. Collection policies can be a great help in showing a donor how the sought-after gift will fit into the overall collection. Equally important, policies will assist in dealing with unwanted materials. They forestall ad hoc decisions and minimize what F. Gerald Ham has called the acquisition of “random bits and pieces,” as well as provide a documented rationale for rejecting gifts that are outside of the overall collecting scope. Most importantly, collection policies will facilitate coordination and cooperation among local and regional archives.Phillips 1984, 38Model collection policies are needed that take into consideration competition, research needs, ethics, institutional resources, and deaccessioning.Benedict 1984, 46If the archivist believes that the collection policies and appraisal criteria have been unsound and have led to the accessioning of records of dubious value, then it should be the administrator’s highest priority to reevaluate the criteria for accessioning records in the institution.Samuels 1986, 114–115A collecting/acquisition policy is a written statement prepared by a specific repository to define the scope of its collection and to specify the subjects and formats of materials to be collected. A collection policy is developed in light of other repositories’ policies and is implemented in part through cooperative collecting plans and documentation strategies.Novara 2013, 209All archival institutions that collect state political archival materials should write formal collection development policies for state legislative papers, including specific guidelines for the collecting of women’s papers. These collection policies must complement each other, or one institution in the state might be specifically designated as the official archival repository for state legislators’ papers and/or for concentrating on documenting women’s issues.Wakimoto, Hansen, and Bruce 2013, 447–448Because LLLACE [sic] functions as more than a traditional library or archives, with both circulating and noncirculating collections, its collection policy covers both aspects. The policy clearly defines the collecting scope to include “book and non-book material” pertaining to queer communities. . . . LLACE’s collection policy also notes that its geographical focus is the “Sacramento area gay and lesbian community” and indicates that the archives collects the “papers and materials of ordinary LGBT people.”Coyner and Pringle 2014, 460Further, the design of the Matrix helped to create a jumping-off point that enables the state’s archivists to learn each other’s collection policies and thus eliminate or reduce competition for collections.Leventhal et al. 2021, 338The appraisal process is also a balancing act of adhering to collection policy guidelines and embracing curiosity.
