Faculty Resources

Special Collections and Archives (SC&A) is a department of the Goucher College Library whose primary responsibility is to serve the research needs of Goucher College’s faculty, students, and staff.  The collection development policy for the SC&A describes the guidelines by which department staff, the Goucher College community, and other potential donors may make informed decisions about appropriate materials for gift and transfer to the department. 

Criteria Used for Evaluation:

Decisions to accept materials will be informed by the SC&A staff with regards to subject area, available resources to care for and provide access to the collection, the availability of physical storage space, and availability of similar collection material at another institution.  SC&A will accept materials including printed works, manuscripts, archives, artifacts, ephemera, photographs, artwork, audio-visual, and some born digital materials.

Collection Strengths:

The unique historical materials held within the department are accessible to college offices and departments, faculty, students, and visiting researchers according to published rules for their use. The collections are split in two distinct areas: the college archives and the special collections.

College archives – official records of Goucher College. 

Special collections - non-official historical materials that relate to the College and the local community, support the curriculum, document the activities and research interests of its faculty, students, and alumnae/i, and anticipate future research needs. 

SC&A collects original rare and unique materials in the following primary areas:

• Goucher College history, including works by Goucher College students,  faculty, staff, and alumnae/i
• Jane Austen and the Regency Period
• Performing Arts, including dance and dance history; costumes; and theater, dance, and opera programs
• Musical scores, especially featuring choreography
• Maryland and Baltimore history and literature
• Early English language work 16th – 19th century
• Peace and social justice studies
• Women’s studies including activism, college life, co-education, equal rights, and women’s health
• History of books and printing
• Book arts
• Mark Twain (early editions)
• Books with research or reference value that support existing collections.
• Books with fine bindings, unique formats, and fine press publications

Donations:

The donation of personal archives and other unpublished historical materials to SC&A requires a completed Deed of Gift. The Deed of Gift is the formal, legal agreement that transfers physical ownership and legal rights from the donor to the SC&A. At the time of the original donation, the SC&A will provide the donor with a Donation Receipt until the Deed of Gift is completed. The Deed of Gift is drafted in the best interests of both donor and the SC&A. After discussion and review of the various elements of the Deed, it is signed by both the donor or donor's authorized agent, and an authorized representative of the repository. The signed Deed of Gift establishes and governs the legal relationship between donor and repository and the legal status of the materials.

Contact for Potential Collection Donation

Kristen Welzenbach, Assistant Director for Library Services and Curator for Special Collections & Archives
410-337-6370
Kristen.welzenbach@goucher.edu