Donating Materials

We welcome offers of potential gifts that build upon our topical collecting strengths.  Appropriate materials may include rare books, contemporary books in our subject areas, and archival materials such as correspondence, photographs, diaries, family materials, and the records of private organizations.

Please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives to discuss potential donations of materials or other gifts.  We also provide guidance for UCI campus offices or UCI student groups to transfer records to the University Archives on our website.

Audra Eagle Yun
Head of Head of Special Collections and Archives
University Archivist
(949) 824-3947 (department)

Once material has been deemed relevant to the UCI Libraries' rare and archival collecting priorities, we will evaluate and select archival material that will be retained, including:

  • Diaries, memoirs, oral histories, manuscripts

  • Significant correspondence documenting important activities, programs, decisions, events, or relationships
  • Meeting minutes and reports
  • Publications created by the organization or the individual whose papers we are accepting, including websites, newsletters, handbooks, program announcements, directories, catalogs, brochures, posters, and press releases
  • Policy and procedure documents, or those records that document decision-making processes
  • Subject files documenting an area of collecting interest
  • Annual reports, self-studies, histories, and accreditation reports
  • Original photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, maps, and architectural drawings
  • Records documenting the development of programs or special projects

We acquire books or serials that pertain to our collecting strengths, particularly items that will be used heavily by UCI faculty and for instruction. Items must either have a research or instruction value in order to be considered.  We do not accept books or serials solely because they are rare, fragile, unusual, or to be comprehensive in our collection. We also do not accept books or serials with significant preservation challenges (e.g., mold, unplayable formats, broken covers or spines, etc.).