Collections Information

Processing Archival Materials

Finding Aids

The Texas State University Libraries host and maintain ArchivesSpace as the online catalog to record information about resources held by our Special Collections and Archives. Once materials are accessioned into the Special Collections and Archives, our team will begin the process of making the materials accessible. After determining a logical arrangement, we will describe the materials, add historical context and background information, and enter that information into our Finding Aid Archives Catalog.

Catalog Records

Information from the finding aid is then migrated into library catalog records so that researchers can more easily discover the archival materials as they search the catalog for information about a specific topic. Records are also added to OCLC WorldCat, a global library catalog so researchers around the world can find materials held in the Texas State Special Collections and Archives.

Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)

We are currently updating our processes and workflows to also include materials from our Special Collections and Archives in the statewide archival database, Texas Archival Resources Online.


Usage and Copyright

Copyright Statement

Archives Copyright Statement

Researchers may make free and open use of the Alkek Library's digitized public domain materials. However, some materials in our online collections may be protected by U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Use or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use (Title 17, U.S.C. ยง 107) requires permission from the copyright owners. The use or reproduction of some materials may also be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, privacy and publicity rights, or trademark law. Responsibility for determining rights status and permissibility of any use or reproduction rests exclusively with the researcher.

Please contact us with any questions: Archives & Records Request Form

To learn more about U.S. copyright law, please see http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/.


University Photographs

Photographic negatives, transferred by the University News Service, form the bulk of images related to Texas State University. This record group consists of approximately 700,000 individual images taken from approximated 1970 to 1999. The majority of these images were intended for publicity purposes, from general views of students on campus to specific academic and extracurricular events.

University Photographs and Negatives in the archives: TXST Digital Collections

University News Service Photographs are licensed under the following terms:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

  • No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

Any use of an image, whether print or digital, must include the following information: [filename], University News Service Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Texas State University.


Photographs Collection

San Marcos Daily Record Negatives

San Marcos Daily Records Rights Statement

The publisher of the San Marcos Daily Record selected a Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial license for the images contained in the negative collection held by the Special Collections and Archives. 

San Marcos Daily Record Negatives Collection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/txstate-smdr/

A simple summary of this rights statement means you are free to share and adapt any images, but you must observe the following conditions:

  1. Attribution โ€” You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. NonCommercial โ€” You may not use the material for commercial purposes.

Any use of an image, whether print or digital, must include the following information: [filename], San Marcos Daily Record Negative Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Texas State University.


Oral Histories

Oral Histories Rights Statement

The oral histories held by the Special Collections and Archives are protected by copyright.  No permission is required for research or educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission. Special Collections and Archives has obtained the consent of both the interviewer and the interviewee to make these oral histories available for research and educational use. 

If you are a copyright owner with concerns about an oral history in our collections, please contact us: Archives & Records Form

 

Collection Policy

The Special Collections and Archives are currently reviewing and updating the Collections Policy. We will provide that updated policy documentation once complete, anticipated by Fall 2024.


University Records

Records Management

Texas State University implemented in 2007 a comprehensive program to manage university records and preserve those records with long-term historical value. The Records Retention Schedule provides instruction for disposing of records once they have exceeded their legal retention requirement; records with no further value may be discarded, while records with historical value should be transferred to the Special Collections and Archives. Note that records management training is offered each semester, and that the website provides more information about the records management program.


Departmental History

Departments, programs, and significant event anniversaries are as important to the Archives as they are to those who are celebrating. Help us prepare for future anniversaries by contacting the Special Collections and Archives now to discuss how best to preserve these. Items such as annual reports, awards programs, invitations, brochures, and newsletters are considered essential to documenting departmental history. We also accept "other" things, such as long-forgotten boxes of historical materials or artifacts, that relate to the department, the university, or the local community.


Identifying Resources For Events

Departments and programs that plan to incorporate historical research into celebrations of milestones and anniversaries are encouraged to start researching well before the date of the event because the process can be time-consuming. Archives staff will be happy to assist with identifying materials and making them available for use, but departments are expected to provide staff or students to perform the actual research.

Few department histories exist in summary form. Histories of Computer Science (1983), English (1979), Theatre (1972), and the departments within the School of Applied Arts and Technology (1999) are available in the digital repository collections.

  • Course catalogs are a great place to start, as they contain information about faculty members and departmental organization. 
  • Pedagogs are a rich source of information about the school, and often include photographs of faculty and staff by department.
  • The student newspaper, commonly referred to as "the Star," may include stories about significant events in department/program history. Issues listed below are online; remaining issues are available on microfilm. To make efficient use of research time, it is helpful to have specific milestones with dates in mind to narrow your search.