Coventry University Archives: Coventry University Archives Disposal Policy
Coventry University Archives & Special Collections Disposal Policy
Disposal (or de-accessioning) is part of the management and development of collections by Coventry University Archives & Special Collections (CUASC) and may be considered for a variety of reasons:
- The removal of unwanted duplicates
- Material needing conservation but is beyond repair
- Items are not covered by the CUASC collections policy so are being offered to alternative organisations
- Records no longer meet the criteria to be kept after revision of the CUASC collections policy
- Material that is not regarded as archival and is due for disposal e.g. items that have reached the cut off period for having to be kept for business or legislative reasons (and that may have been flagged as due for disposal during a records management procedure based on retention schedules)
- Sale – only in very exceptional circumstances and only if funds raised are used to improve the archives service.
Most material held or received by CUASC has been identified as of archival and historical value. CUASC has a continuing responsibility for the records it currently holds and will collect in the future, so care will be taken when considering the disposal of items.
Records deposited with CUASC are usually donated. Such material that does not relate to its objectives, or after appraisal does not meet the criteria for permanent preservation, will be offered to another archive or the depositor, or disposed of securely. This also applies to duplicate copies of material already held.
This policy is made clear during the donation process.
Coventry University also reserves the right to retrospectively review its archives holdings if its collections policy is updated.
- Offer to another organisation e.g. if items are not covered by the university's archives collections policy; if it is duplicate material; or if another organisation already has records relating to the same subject/creator and it is obvious that the items are a 'missing' part of that organisation's collections
- Secure disposal (especially if records contain sensitive information and there are GDPR/data protection issues)
- Return to depositor (e.g. if not covered by collections policy, or requested back by depositor)
The Coventry University Archives & Special Collections (CUASC) disposal policy follows guidelines produced for the heritage sector e.g. by The National Archives, the Archives & Records Association, the Museums Association, CILIP (the UK's library & information association) and the Collections Trust. It also takes into account the relevant regulations and legislation that affect the disposal procedures.
Disposal decisions will be taken in accordance with the criteria outlined in the CUASC collections policy and where possible will not be influenced by other factors such as budget constraints or a lack of physical space. The regulatory environment, ethics and standards of the university and its governing body are also considered.
The process for disposal will be rigorous and documented at every stage so that an audit trail is evident. The relevant regulations, standards and regulations that control the keeping of certain records will be followed.