Donation Guidelines

Special Collections Mission And Vision

The Special Collections Department of the College of Charleston was founded to support the teaching and learning mission of the College of Charleston and to promote scholarship on the South Carolina Lowcountry and the broader Atlantic World. Its holdings include hundreds of manuscript collections related to the history and culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the records of the College of Charleston, and an impressive collection of rare books and pamphlets.

The primary mission of Special Collections is to evaluate, acquire, organize, preserve, and make available regionally significant and/or rare printed and archival materials to support the college curriculum and student, faculty, and patron research. Special  Collections envisions itself as an incubator for research through the stewardship of and access to the diverse histories of our institution, communities, and beyond.

Importance Of Donating To Special Collections

Thank you for considering taking this important step in preserving your legacy and contributing to a fuller historical record. Special Collections depends upon the support of individuals, families, businesses, associations, synagogues, churches, and other organizations to assist in fulfilling its mission. Collections held by  Special Collections are used by a variety of persons, including College of Charleston students and faculty, local, national, and international scholars and researchers, K-12 students and teachers, genealogists, media representatives, and others. Additionally, we use our collection materials to support instruction in physical and digital exhibits and publications.

Collecting Areas

Special Collections collects manuscripts and other documentary materials that relate to the College or that support the College’s academic programs and liberal arts curriculum. Strong collecting areas include Southern history and culture; Jewish heritage; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) materials, and collections that support the pedagogical needs of college disciplines.

Materials That Are Generally Accepted

Listed below are types of materials that are often valuable to a researcher. This list, which is suggestive and not definitive, illustrates the wide range of documentation that is often useful for historical and administrative research. Although analog materials are preferred, select born digital materials are accepted. Emphasis is placed on acquiring items in their original formats and in good physical condition.

Personal Or Family Papers

  • Letters
  • Memoirs
  • Diaries
  • Scrapbooks and photo albums
  • Professional papers
  • Genealogical information
  • Speeches and lectures
  • Articles/essays
  • Legal documents
  • Certificates
  • Photographs (with subjects and locations identified)
  • Audiovisual materials: films, videos, and audio tapes (with identifying information)

Organizational Records

  • Articles of incorporation and charters
  • Bylaws
  • Constitutions and revisions
  • Handbooks
  • Memoranda
  • Minutes of meetings
  • Newsletters and other publications generated by the organization: pamphlets, brochures, flyers, etc.
  • Photographs
  • Planning documents
  • Press releases
  • Reports (annual, committee, financial, etc.)

Rare Books and Historic Pamphlets

Collections of rare books and historic pamphlets are used for teaching and research and are a vital, growing part of Special Collections. This includes standard reference works, books and pamphlets related to South Carolina, publications that support the College’s curriculum, materials published by prominent, local authors, select regional imprints, first editions, and publications related to our archival holdings.

Special Collections Is Unable To Accept The Following Materials:

  • Papers or records already comprehensively collected by another repository
  • Reproductions of materials held in other repositories
  • Duplicates of materials already held in Special Collections
  • Digital surrogates or photocopies of materials
  • Widely available publications
  • Widely distributed sound and video recordings
  • Materials that include medical or financial records or other sensitive information
  • Current or active organizational or business records
  • Faculty, staff, and alum papers or academic research files
  • Old copies of yearbooks, with a few exceptions
  • Student scholarship

Although Special Collections cannot accept everything you offer, we welcome the chance to review material; if it is not appropriate for Special Collections, there may be another repository to which it could be referred. Some material, too, may be of more sentimental than historical research value and should be kept by the individual or family.

Interested In Donating Materials To Special Collections?

If you’re interested in donating materials to Special Collections, please provide us some basic information about yourself and the material you want to donate by filling out the Special Collections Donor Interest Form and the Donation Inventory Spreadsheet Template below.

Special Collections Donor Interest Form

Please fill out the Special Collections Donor Interest Form so that the Special Collections archival staff can review your potential donation to the archives.

Donation Inventory Spreadsheet Template

Please also fill out the Donation Inventory Spreadsheet so that the Special Collections archival staff can review your potential donation to the archives. Please upload this form in the “Personal Papers, Family Papers, or Records Inventory” field in the Special Collections Donor Interest Form.

Unsolicited Donations

Special Collections does not accept unsolicited donations, whether delivered by mail or in person. Unsolicited donations may be disposed of or returned at the sole discretion of Special Collections.

Some Things To Consider

  • If possible and/or appropriate, keep materials in original order.
  • Please name people and/or places in photographs, as it helps for future access to the collection.
  • As you put records together to donate, please refrain from using tape, staples, rubber bands, paper clips, or binder clips, as they can damage
  • Carefully consider any potential restrictions or copyright concerns in the materials.

Abbreviated Acquisition Procedure

  1. Fill out and submit a Special Collections Donor Interest Form with the uploaded Donation Inventory Spreadsheet. The Special Collections Director and archival staff will review both forms. You can expect a response within eight (8) weeks.
  2. If your donation is conditionally approved, archival staff will visit to appraise materials based on the Special Collections Mission and Collection Development Policy.
  3. If your donation is approved, Special Collections archival staff will advise on preparing the materials, including housing and labeling, for transfer to Special Collections.
  4. An official Deed of Gift agreement is signed by the donor and an officer of Special Collection. Materials are then transferred to Special Collections in Addlestone Library for accessioning and processing.