The University of Jamestown Archives are contained within Raugust Library and are administered by the Archivist under the general supervision of the Library Director. The Library Director reports to the Provost, who is responsible to the President of the University and the University of Jamestown Board of Trustees. The University of Jamestown is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. It includes an undergraduate campus in Jamestown, North Dakota and a graduate school in Fargo, North Dakota, as well as an extensive online schedule of classes and degrees.
The purpose of the University of Jamestown Archives is to collect, document, and preserve the historical records of the University and the local history of the surrounding region of North Dakota, with a particular emphasis upon Stutsman County, for use by members of the academic community, researchers, and scholars.
The archives collects the published and unpublished records of the University of Jamestown, both official and unofficial. These include but are not limited to:
The local history component of the collection recognizes that the University does not and cannot exist divorced from its historical context. It contains materials relating to the history of North Dakota, including:
The University of Jamestown Archives holds materials in the following formats. It is expected that additional digital formats will be included in the future.
The archives will not, in general, accept machine readable files unless the machine to read them on and the appropriate software is included with the files, unless an accessible digital format can be created.
Materials may be acquired by gift, bequest, purchase, or any other transaction that passes title of the materials to the University of Jamestown Archives.
The material will be reviewed by the Archivist and any other appropriate college representative in order to evaluate its appropriateness to the archives. Formal, legal transfer of ownership of the material is necessary before it will be placed into the collection.
Materials which do not fit the formats list above will be accepted if an accessible copy can be created. Materials from non-University sources which must be restricted in their use in order to preserve confidentiality will be accepted upon consultation with the Archivist and appropriate university representatives. Fragile or damaged materials which require expensive restoration may or may not be accepted at the discretion of the Archivist.
Gifts to the archives are absolute and may be sold, traded, loaned, or otherwise disposed of at the sole discretion of the Archivist and other appropriate university representatives.
Materials which fall outside the scope of this policy may be considered for sale, gift, return to donor, or other disposition. This determination will be made in accordance with the instructions on the original gift and by the decision of the Archivist and other appropriate college representatives.
In general, loans will be made only to other campus departments. Other loans will be made by the decision of the Archivist and other appropriate college representatives with stipulations put in place at that time.
Phyllis Ann K. Bratton, Archivist
Revised, November 19, 2021
Revised, March 25, 2024