Preferred formats
SCUA is best suited to provide care and access to the following formats, which are preferred for acquisitions:

• Photographs
• Correspondence
• Personal papers
• Manuscripts
• Organizational records
• Small press, local, rare, artists’ books, or out-of-print publications
• Scrapbooks
• Diaries, Journals, and Notebooks
• Maps
• Advertisements
• Brochures, pamphlets and similar paper-based ephemera
• Sound and video recordings (including non-commercial footage of events and oral history interviews)
• Zines
  • Following the professional Zine Librarians Code of Ethics, we encourage the purchase of zines directly from their creators or through community-led initiatives such as zinefests and zine distros, rather than from third party vendors or dealers

All acquisitions must take into consideration our ability to provide proper care and storage. Three dimensional objects, collectibles, artwork, and memorabilia are not actively sought, but may be considered, especially when acquired as part of a larger collection. Additionally, we only seek materials that can be made available to the public, or that may eventually be made available after a reasonable period of time.

Collecting Scope
SCUA contains a wide range of collecting areas: Special Collections, University Archives, Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Water Resources Collections and Archives. This policy encompasses collection development for Special Collections only. Separate policies are available for University Archives, the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Water Resources Collections and Archives.

Special Collections is further divided into specific collections/areas of focus, many of which incorporate print materials:

• Local History
• Area & Gender Studies
  • Queer & Gender Studies
  • Black Studies
  • Asian American & Pacific Studies
  • Latino & Latin American Studies
  • Native American & Indigenous Studies
• Natural & Agricultural Sciences
• Tuskegee Airmen Archive (TAA)
• Visual and Performing Arts
• Literary and Cultural Studies
• Western European Civilization

Below we specify the unique profiles, considerations, materials out of scope, and future directions of each collecting area.

Local History

Collecting Priorities: 
As we continue to build our collections, Special Collections & University Archives emphasizes acquiring materials from individuals and organizations whose work has fundamentally shaped the experiences of people living in inland southern California from the 1700s onward. We further emphasize documenting the lives of peoples and groups that are historically underrepresented in the archival record.
 

Of particular importance to the collections is material related to:

• Early settlement and development of both the city and county of Riverside
• Indigenous peoples of the Inland Empire
• Family, civic, and domestic life
• Business and industry
• Buildings and architecture
• Art & artists
• Politics
• Community organizations and activity
• Education 

Description:
Local history holdings within the Special Collections & University Archives department primarily focus on the city of Riverside, California and the immediate surrounding area. However, as a major academic institution and one of the largest archival repositories in the inland area of southern California, the scope of local history includes the broader Inland Empire community. This includes, but is not limited to, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and the various cities and communities encompassed therein.

Out of Scope:
UCR is not a governmental archive and does not collect documents related to genealogical records, or the operation/administration of towns, cities, counties, or the state of California. We refer inquiries of this nature to the city or state archives, or local historical societies.

Area & Gender Studies

Area & Gender Studies in SCUA encompasses five main collecting areas:

• Queer & Gender Studies
• Black Studies
• Asian American & Pacific Studies
• Latino & Latin American Studies
• Native American & Indigenous Studies

Each of these areas has their own unique conditions and considerations. Below we have included descriptions for each one, with more detailed information for the areas that are traditional strengths of UCR and Special Collections: Latino & Latin American Studies, and Native American & Indigenous Studies.

The following are priorities shared across these areas:

• Collecting from the Diaspora

  • In terms of area/ethnic studies, we seek materials created by these communities both in their home countries and in their parallel diasporas emerging in the United States. Given the lack of such holdings in our current collections, and the demand/need for these materials to support UCR research and classes, we are prioritizing collecting from the diaspora. For example, collecting for Latino & Latin American Studies includes not only materials from countries in Latin America, but also from communities based in the United States that may identify as Chicano/a/x or Latino/a/x rather than by the nationality of their ancestral/cultural roots.

   

• Post-Custodial Practices As Appropriate

  • We recognize that a post-custodial approach may be preferred by some communities, especially those that have been traditionally underrepresented in the archival record. To maximize mutually beneficial access and preservation, we advocate for the digitization of materials from local institutions and communities (held outside our stewardship) that complement and strengthen our digital collections on Calisphere.

   

• Preference for Materials Made By (Not About) Communities
  • Underrepresented communities have struggled to have their voices heard throughout history; accordingly, we prioritize the acquisition of materials made directly by people of color and other marginalized groups. Secondary sources should be carefully considered to ensure they do not minimize, or erase, the voices and perspectives of their subjects.

Queer & Gender Studies

Collecting priorities:
We are actively seeking to build representation of this area in Special Collections. A main priority is acquiring materials related to the intersection of Queer & Gender Studies with any of our other collecting areas (Area Studies, local history, etc).

Description:
Our current holdings in Queer & Gender Studies are minimal. Topics represented include civic engagement/activism, and ephemera pertaining to the AIDS epidemic.

Black Studies

Collecting priorities:
We are actively seeking to build representation of this area in Special Collections. A main priority is acquiring materials related to the intersection of Black Studies with any of our other collecting areas (Local History, Literary and Cultural Studies, etc.). In addition, we seek materials that support research and instruction regarding the stories of the people of the historical slave trade.

Description:
Our current holdings in Black Studies are limited, outside of related collections like the Tuskegee Airmen Archive (TAA). Holdings outside of TAA include literary works (Harlem Renaissance, poetry), periodicals (Ebony magazine and Black Voice News), the Black Panther Party, and materials related to the people of the historical slave trade.

Asian American & Pacific Studies

Collecting priorities:
We are actively seeking to build representation of this area in Special Collections. A main priority is acquiring materials related to the intersection of Asian American & Pacific Studies with any of our other collecting areas (Local History, Literary and Cultural Studies, etc.).

Description:
Our holdings in Asian American & Pacific Studies include a strong emphasis on local history such as Riverside’s early Chinatown and Koreatown, family archives, and the experiences of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Latino & Latin American Studies

Collecting priorities:
We are actively collecting in Latinx/Latine/Chicanx Studies and Borderland Studies. Regional priorities are Mexico and Central America, though other regions may be considered if they meet several of the criteria listed below.
 

Materials documenting the following areas (or any combination of them) are to be prioritized:
 

• Ethnicity & Identity
• Indigeneity
• Pre-Colonial history
• Gender & Queer Studies
• Migration (including the experiences of undocumented populations)
• Language (including Spanglish and other hybrid languages)
• Education
• Religion
• Arts & Activism
• Labor Studies

Description:
Following the professional guidelines of the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM), we prioritize the acquisition of print materials from recognized regional vendors whenever possible, and advocate for the acquisition of materials not only in Spanish, but also in Indigenous languages of the Americas (in particular, languages spoken by migrant communities in the Inland Empire such as Purépecha).
Collecting priorities are considered alongside the growth and development of campus and regional initiatives in this area, including the Latin American Perspectives journal and the Latino and Latin American Studies Research Center, as well as the demographics of the growing Inland Empire Latino community.

Historic Strengths:
Historic strengths of the collection include the Panama Canal Zone, Paraguay, and Brazil. We are no longer actively collecting in these areas, but would accept donations that complement these historic holdings.

Native American & Indigenous Studies

Collecting priorities:
We prioritize the acquisition of materials in Native American & Indigenous Studies representative of California native nations, especially those ancestrally located within Riverside County:

• Cahuilla
• Tongva & Gabrielino
• Luiseño & Chemehuevi
• Cupeño
• Serrano
• Mojave

In addition, we seek materials documenting the following areas in formats appropriate for both Native and non-Native audiences. Materials representing Native nations outside of California may be considered if they meet more than one of the following preferred areas:

• Language preservation, revitalization and practice
• Agricultural or environmental justice and knowledge 
• Civic engagement and activism
• Sovereignty (water, land, gaming, hunting, etc)
• Local organizations and institutions
• Creative arts
• Education
• Ethnicity & Identity
• History

Description: 
Collecting in Native American & Indigenous Studies requires culturally responsive care and consideration. Therefore, we follow the recommendations of the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, especially as it pertains to respecting sovereignty and ancestral knowledge in the care of materials, as well as building ongoing relationships with Indigenous communities to seek consultation/recommendations for acquisitions, and making sure local Indigenous communities are aware of holdings that may be relevant to their interests. Access and preservation of culturally sensitive materials will always be considered in consultation with the UCR NAGPRA Specialist/Repatriation Coordinator and tribal community members.

Historic Strengths:
Our holdings include examples of ethnological, anthropological, and linguistic papers related to the study of Native peoples. We are no longer actively collecting in these areas, but may consider donations that complement these historic holdings.

Out of Scope:
UCR follows all NAGPRA mandated protocols. Any materials considered inappropriate for a non-native audience, such as those containing culturally sensitive knowledge including medicinal practices, religious or sacred objects, or ceremonial significance, are outside our collecting scope.
 

Natural and Agricultural Sciences 

Collecting priorities:
We are actively collecting materials related to the agricultural industry in the local Riverside and Inland Empire area, and historical research related to the citrus and date industry, with a strong desire to collect materials related to:
 

• Experiences of agricultural workers
• Local businesses
• California Agricultural Experiment Station
• Citrus Experiment Station
• United States Department of Agriculture Date Station

Description:
Natural and Agricultural Sciences holdings within Special Collections build upon the history of UC Riverside as a research center for agricultural, botanical, and natural sciences, as well as this history of the Inland Empire as an agricultural region.

Strengths of the collections include:

• History of the local citrus and date industries
• Historical agricultural research focused on citrus, dates, figs, and avocados
• Pest management
   

Materials in this area also complement strong holdings within our University Archives related to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Citrus Experiment Station, and faculty from our Botany and Entomology departments. 
 

Historic Strengths:
Special Collections also holds strong collections of rare print materials focused on American and British zoology, botany, and natural history. We are no longer actively collecting in these areas, but would accept donations that complement these historic holdings.

Out of Scope:
We do not collect materials documenting current scientific research, including data sets. Any donations or inquiries of these kinds of materials should be referred to the Library’s Research Services department.
 

Tuskegee Airmen Archive (TAA)

Collecting Priorities:
We are actively collecting the papers of individual Tuskegee Airmen and materials documenting the experience of:

• Airmen during World War II and the Korean War
• Women working at the Tuskegee Army Airfield
• Ground crew and supporting personnel 
   

Description:
The Tuskegee Airmen Archive (TAA) collects and preserves, as part of a national effort, the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, who broke the race barrier in military aviation for African Americans and other minorities. The TAA seeks to document the Airmen and women’s military service in World War II as well as their many contributions to aviation and military history. Documentation of the Airmen and women’s lives and careers before and after World War II is also of interest including their unique contributions to economic development, race relations, politics, business, medicine, the arts, education, and numerous other fields.

Historic Strengths:
Strengths in the collection include papers from numerous Tuskegee airmen, memorabilia and artwork, oral histories and documentary footage, and records related to the Los Angeles Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.

Out of Scope:
Due to space constraints, and to avoid duplication, we are no longer accepting artwork, uniforms, and memorabilia related to the Tuskegee Airmen.
 

Visual and Performing Arts

Collecting priorities:
This subject is not a priority collecting area. Additional acquisitions of art are considered on a case by case basis as they intersect with other priorities as defined within this document.

Description:
Visual and Performing Arts collections and materials within UCR Special Collections include a range of topical areas, such as:

• Painting, drawing, sculpture, decorative arts
• Architecture
• Music - 19th and early 20th century composers

Specific materials that align with past collecting strengths and current UCR faculty needs may be considered for acquisition on a case-by-case basis in the following areas:

• History of photography and the photographic process
• Dance and choreography
• Music (Spanish and Portuguese classical guitar)
   

Literary and Cultural Studies

Collecting priorities:

This is an area of strength for the collections as a whole at UCR and is a continued focus for growth going forward. Any new acquisitions should align with the strategies and principles outlined at the top of this document. Alignment with other collecting areas, such as local history, Latino & Latin American studies, or Native American & Indigenous studies, is strongly preferred.

Materials and documentation of interest for continued growth of our literary and cultural studies collection include:

• Papers of authors, artists, journalists, filmmakers, etc
• Pamphlets
• Artists’ books and miniature books (as they overlap with other topical collecting areas we prioritize)
• Secondary academic works of literary and cultural criticism
• Early comics
  • This complements and overlaps with the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy. However, our early comics are focused on the history and origins of comics, 19th century comics and cartooning, and are not part of the broader umbrella of speculative fiction.

Description:
Collections in this area help fulfill the overarching goal of supporting the educational and research mission of the university and include a diverse range of topics and materials. These are generally by or about writers, artists, film makers, educators, historians, book artisans, and the like.
The Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a notable independent collecting area that overlaps with this portion of the archives. For more details about this collection, see the collection development strategy for the Eaton Collection.

Historic strengths:

• Medieval manuscripts
• Early print
• Early modern European and Renaissance literature
• Traditional Western literary canon
• Book making and book binding
• Education

Not currently collecting:

• Boys’ books and other juvenalia
• Languages and linguistics
• Artist’s books and miniature books unrelated to other collecting areas

Western European Civilization

Collecting priorities:

This subject is not a priority collecting area. Additional acquisitions of art are considered on a case by case basis as they intersect with other priorities as defined within this document.

Description:

Special Collections holds a collection of materials related to Western European civilization, most notably in the following areas:

• History
  • Ancient Roman and Greek texts
  • British Royal History
  • French History
  • Paris (18-19th century)
• Philosophy and Religious studies
• Political Science and Political Institutions
• Economics
• Social Sciences
• Anthropology
• Geography

Specific materials that align with past collecting strengths and current UCR faculty needs may be considered for acquisition on a case-by-case basis in the following areas:

• World War II 
• Labor Issues