Mission Statement
The University Archives serves as the institutional
memory for Texas Tech University by collecting, preserving and making
accessible to researchers such materials as administrative and faculty
records, publications, photographs, video and audio materials. These
materials document the legal, historical, fiscal, administrative and
intellectual aspects of the university, as well as the cultural and social
aspects of student life.
Acquisition Policy
University records are documents created, received or accumulated during
the conduct of Texas Tech University business. Records sought for the University Archives include
those that demonstrate the university's activities in teaching, research,
student development, cultural enrichment, and campus growth. Also
collected are non-official records pertaining to the history of the
university. This includes faculty papers, organizational records, and
student organizational records. The types of
records deemed worthy of permanent preservation are, in part, determined
by the university's records retention schedule.
Routine fiscal documentation such as purchase
orders and travel receipts are not accepted as they are considered
short-term records. Also, student academic records are not housed in
the University Archives but rather reside with the Registrar's Office.
Materials not fitting the University Archives
collecting scope can either be rejected, deaccessioned or disposed.
Due to limited space, only a small number of duplicate materials are kept
at any time, unless the item(s) prove to be very rare and/or unique.
All University Archives materials are
non-circulating and can only be used in the Holden Reading Room.
Use of University Archives materials are covered under the
Policies of the
Reading Room.
Faculty Papers
The University Archivist acquires, processes and makes accessible the
papers of current and former faculty members. These papers document
the teaching and research functions of the university and are therefore an
important insight to the academic life of Texas Tech and its growth.
Click here for more information on
what types of materials are collected.
To view which faculty papers currently reside in the
University Archives, go to the collection
finding aids.
Historical Information on Texas Tech University
Passed on February 10, 1923, Senate Bill No. 103 is
commonly referred to as the school charter. Lubbock, Texas, was
officially selected as the site of a new college on August 8, 1923
by the Locating Board. In the fall of 1925, Texas Technological College
opened. Then, from 1959-1969, debates grew over renaming
the college, and on Sept. 1, 1969, the Board of Directors officially
change the name to Texas Tech University.
Click here to read tidbits on Texas Tech, including digital scans of
Techsan Retrospective articles, the establishment of Texas Tech,
departmental histories, a list of Horn Professors, a who's who of
administrators, trivia about TTU buildings and structures, and
statistics compiled by the university on such matters as enrollment,
graduation, location distribution, test scores, gender, ethnicity, and
age.
Texas Tech Publications
The University Archives is the official repository for campus and alumni
journals, newsletters, press releases and newspapers. Among these are
the Texas Techsan, the Catalyst, the La Ventana, the Toreador and the
University Daily. Additionally, books published by Tech faculty
are available. All items are non-circulating and are available for
viewing in the Holden Reading Room.
Theses and Dissertations
(T/D)
The University Archives houses official copies of student theses and
dissertations. These non-circulating books may be requested for
viewing in the reading room. Duplicate copies may be checked out at
the main Library.
Texas Tech has made available online electronic copies of its
theses and dissertations starting from 2005 to present. The theses and
dissertations are also being added to the
Texas Digital Library website,
where you can browse through several universities' T/D publications.
To purchase a copy of a Texas Tech thesis or dissertation, go to
UMI's
website.
Transferring Materials to the University Archives
All university records should adhere to the
records
retention schedule. Once records become inactive, only those
that have been determined as having permanent value should be
transferred to the University Archives. All others should be
disposed of according to the manner cited in the records retention
schedule. When in doubt, don't throw it out but rather call the
University Archivist for help.
When sending items to the University Archives, records should be kept in
their original order and folder [i. e. never loosely dumped], boxed in a
sturdy container, and have attached a sheet stating who is the
sender/department, a contact phone number and a listing of what records
are enclosed. Preferably, materials should not to sent without
first making contact with the University Archivist.
Donors not currently affiliated with Texas Tech, such as alumni, should
contact the University Archivist directly.
For More Information on using University Archive materials, contact:
Lynn Whitfield, University Archivist
Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
Box 41041
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas 79409-1041
Phone (806) 742-3749
Fax (806) 742-0496
Last Updated 10/22/09 |
