Do you want my old yearbook?
The short answer? It depends. While we never want pass on material that represents the student experience on campus, the reality is that yearbooks and freshman beanies are the most donated items to the University Archives. Our goal is to collect the broadest scope possible and in order to do so we must focus our attention to other types of material. However, if your yearbook contains something unique (perhaps inscription from a notable alumni or it details an untold event) please do reach out to us about retaining the copy.
How to Donate
Please contact Special Collections and Archives at archives@trinity.edu if you are interested in donating material. An archivist will be in touch with you to go over the material in more detail. Be prepared to discuss the scope of the material, formats of the material, and the collection size in boxes and linear feet. If the material is deemed a fit for the repository, the archivist and donor will then go over the transfer process and the deed of gift which acts as the donor agreement.
Collection Development
The University Archives documents the intellectual, cultural, and organizational history of the university since its founding in 1869. Through official and non-official administrative and departmental records, faculty and alumni papers, records of alumni and student organizations, and university publications, this archives seeks to preserve the evolution of the institution, from the Tehuacana, Waxahachie, and Woodlawn campuses to the present Skyline campus.
Materials We Collect
The types of materials the University Archives collects include, but are not limited to:
- Reports, surveys, committee records, and minutes
- University publications, promotional materials, and catalogs
- Photographs, negatives, and slides
- Audio and video recordings
- Oral histories
- Documentation of student life, including student organizations and student publications
- Archival records of departments, offices, and centers
- Architectural drawings
- Papers of faculty and alumni
- Serials, newspapers, and newsletters
- Books published by Trinity University Press or authored by Trinity faculty
- Scrapbooks
- University websites, blogs, e-newsletters, and social media
Current Collecting Strengths
The University Archives has extensive records relating to the presidential tenures of Everett, Laurie, and Calgaard. The archives permanently retains Board of Trustee meeting minutes, official Course of Study Bulletins, and student publications such as the Mirage yearbook, the Trinitonian newspaper, and university publications such as On Trinity Hill, news releases, and the Trinity Magazine. There is also a sizable amount of photo prints, negatives, and images from the university’s communications office.
Current Collecting Focuses
The University Archives actively seeks to collect materials from under-documented members of the Trinity community, including women, individuals of color, and the LGBTQ community. The University Archives encourages institutional departments and units to work with the repository to develop workflows that ensure ongoing archival transfer of records identified as having permanent historical, evidential, and informational value to the Trinity community.