WCU Archives: Home

 

The William Carey University Archives collects the official non-current records of administrative and institutional offices, academic departments and programs, and student organizations of the university and its predecessors: South Mississippi College, Mississippi Woman’s College, and William Carey College. Official records are defined as all materials created, received, and maintained by university personnel in conducting the official business of the university. Unofficial records are also collected when they document university related activities and history. The archives may refuse to accept collections, artifacts, or memorabilia for reasons of available space, condition of the materials or suitability for the collection. The types of official records collected by the Archives include:

• University publications: yearbooks, catalogs, bulletins, newsletters, newspapers, faculty/staff rosters, journals, brochures, programs
• Administrative records: governance and policy documents, minutes, reports of major committees or working groups, annual reports, correspondence, accreditation reports and documentation, budgets
• Documents related to student organizations: constitutions, bylaws, minutes, policies, reports
• Documents related to the university’s physical plant: blueprints, architectural renderings, landscape plans
• Masters theses produced by William Carey University students
• Photographs, prints, negatives and slides of people, structures, campus life, events, and groups
• Audiovisual media, regardless of format, that document university events
• Oral histories of members of the university community
• Artifacts related to the history of the university

The types of unofficial records collected by the Archives include:

• Personal papers of William Carey University presidents
• Alumni association records such as minutes, publications, and documentation related to alumni events
• Diaries, reunion books, and memoirs of alumni, faculty and staff
• Personal artifacts related to the history of the university including sports items and uniforms
• Personal photographs and audiovisual materials which document university events, people, and places
• Personal and professional papers, correspondence, and related items of William Carey University faculty and staff

Materials that are not collected by the Archives include:

• Routine correspondence
• Records of specific financial transactions
• Duplicated materials and mass generated commercial documents
• Class records and syllabi
• Student records that contain personally identifying information such as grades or attendance records, student papers, projects or speeches
• Non-personally addressed correspondence (mass mailings) from departments or colleges on or off campus

The William Carey University Archives are located in the I.E. Rouse Library on the campus of William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Materials in the William Carey University Library are available by appointment only. Appointments may be made in advance by contacting the Office of the Director of Libraries at 601.318.6170.

Access and Use
In order to protect rare and fragile materials, the following restrictions are placed on the use of archival materials:

• Materials do not circulate and must be used in the reading room.
• The archives stacks are closed to researchers. Materials will be retrieved by a library staff member and made available to researchers in the reading room.
• Researchers must sign in before requesting materials from the archives.
• In general, only 1 box may be used by a researcher at a time. Materials should be kept in original order in the folder or box.
• All coats, backpacks, purses, briefcases, other bags, books, and personal effects must be placed in a locker in the reading room and may not be accessed while the researcher is using archival materials. Locks for the lockers are provided to researchers if requested.
• Only pencils may be used for taking notes. No pens are allowed.
• Laptop, notebook, or tablet computers are allowed, but carrying cases may be subject to inspection.
• Digital cameras are permitted.
• Eating and drinking are not permitted when using archival materials.
• Materials must be handled carefully and not written on, marked, or folded. Photographs, negatives, and slides must be handled by the edges. Library staff may assist researchers in handling rare and fragile materials.

Locating Materials in the Archives
Library staff will help researchers locate materials in the archives.

• Advance reference requests are encouraged so that library staff can have materials ready when you arrive.
• The preferred citation for archival materials is: Identification of specific item, Date (if known), Title of collection, Accession Number, Box and Folder number, William Carey University Archives, William Carey University Library.

Rights and Reproduction

• Copyright for official university records is held by William Carey University. All other copyright is retained by the authors of items in the archives or their descendants, as stipulated by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
• Photocopying may be limited if William Carey University does not own the original item.
• Photocopies will be made by library staff for 10 cents/page. Scans will be made for $2.00/image. Library staff may refuse copying or scanning requests if such activities are likely to damage the materials, are prohibited by donor agreements, or if in the judgment of library staff are in violation of copyright law.
• Photocopying and scanning requests will be handled as quickly as possible, but it may be necessary for copies or scans to be mailed or picked up later.
• Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Director of Libraries at William Carey University. Ownership of a photocopy does not constitute permission to publish.

Donations
The William Carey University Archives welcomes donations of materials related to the history of the university and its predecessors. Typical items that are welcomed by the University Archives include:

• Records of student organizations, including minutes, reports, publications, and photographs
• University publications, such as newspapers, newsletters, magazines, yearbooks, and programs
• Memorabilia, including banners, athletic uniforms, buttons, etc.
• Personal materials that document your experience at William Carey, such as diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, correspondence, and oral histories

Donors will be asked to complete a donor agreement form, which formally transfers ownership of the items to the University Archives. The William Carey University Archives does not accept materials on temporary loan. As part of the University Archives permanent collection, your materials will be organized according to accepted archival practice, stored in a secure environment, and made available to researchers for use in the archives reading room. While donors to the University Archives may be able to claim a tax deduction for donations, the University Archives staff cannot provide appraisals or valuations of donations for tax purposes. For more information about donations to the University Archives, please contact Christy Calhoun, Archival Librarian, at 601.318.6236 or ccalhoun@wmcarey.edu.

 

Contact Us
For more information about the William Carey University Archives, please contact:
Christy Calhoun, Archival Librarian
William Carey University Libraries;
710 William Carey Parkway
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone 601.318.6236
ccalhoun@wmcarey.edu