Music Library Special Collections Acquisitions Policy

Collection Scope

Collection holdings comprise institutional records documenting the history of the JMU School of Music, as well as special collections supporting the curriculum and local musicians of note. Highlights include: thousands of JMU School of Music performance recordings and programs; collections of notable composers/arrangers; materials by faculty including original scores, manuscripts, unpublished recordings, and teaching materials; and select manuscripts and facsimiles for instruction.

Collecting Areas

The JMU Music Special Collections primary responsibility is to serve the pedagogical and research needs of JMU staff, faculty, and students. To this end, JMU Music Special Collections seeks to collect in subject areas receiving substantial and sustained attention within the School of Music community, those representing ongoing pedagogical interests, those that address significant gaps in our existing collections, or those that reflect the contributions and experiences of underrepresented communities. JMU Music Special Collections welcomes donations from administrative staff, faculty, alumni, and other individuals of unique and valuable materials that support these collection development goals.

Acquisitions Criteria

The JMU Music Special Collections accepts materials in most formats, including paper, audiovisual, photographic, and electronic. Appraisal criteria include: uniqueness and research value, physical condition, legal ownership rights, relevance to the repository’s mission, depth of documentation, and capability to provide proper care for materials in its custody.

Archival collections are open for use to all members of the JMU community, and other interested patrons and researchers. Parts or all of some collections may be temporarily restricted per institutional policy and donor gift agreements. Materials should be as free as possible from legal restrictions that might diminish research potential.

In general, JMU Music Special Collections seeks information and records created by, for, and about the JMU School of Music community, including but not limited to the following:

Personal materials from faculty and alumni

  • Manuscripts
  • Scores (published and unpublished)
  • Biographical material
  • Curricular and teaching materials
  • Unique recordings
  • Correspondence
  • Photographs
  • Performance ephemera, e.g. programs
  • Speeches, lectures, talks

Special collections from external sources:

  • Musicians with connections to the School of Music or from the local community
  • Manuscripts and facsimiles relevant to teaching and curriculum

Out of Scope Material and Deaccessions

The following materials are out of scope for our collections at this time.

  • Commercially available books, periodicals, scores, and sound recordings
  • Instruments, costumes, and stage properties
  • Duplicates of materials already held, unless the item has important associations or annotations
  • Copies or surrogates of original material in other collections
  • Materials without clear title or provenance, including photograph collections lacking identification
  • Artwork

JMU Music Special Collections does not seek to acquire objects better suited for museum collections. Such memorabilia may, however, be accepted as part of larger collections if useful for exhibition or instructional purposes.

In addition, the following records are typically weeded from collections:

  • Routine financial records (bank statements, invoices, cash receipts, etc.) will be securely destroyed
  • Excessive duplicates (unless annotated) will be discarded or donated
  • Publications produced by another office (e.g. concert programs, course catalogs, alumni publications, marketing collateral) with which the collection creator/donor had no discernible authorship will be reassigned

Donors will be asked to indicate in the Deed of Gift how JMU Music Special Collections should handle disposition of out-of-scope materials identified for deaccession during processing.

 

How to Donate or Transfer Collections

To make a donation inquiry or transfer records, please contact JMU Music Special Collections at library-music@jmu.edu. Materials should not be mailed or dropped off without first consulting with the staff. Donations require a deed of gift or other formal agreement prior to transfer, and JMU Music Special Collections cannot accommodate unsolicited donations due to space limitations. Depending on the size and location of the collection, staff will generally wish to view the materials before they are physically transferred.

As a non-profit organization, JMU Music Special Collections does not purchase materials nor can it provide tax advice, shipping reimbursements, or monetary appraisals for collections or individual items.  See Additional Financial Considerations below for more information.

Faculty and alumni collections

For personal donations by School of Music faculty or alumni:

  • Call or email JMU Music Special Collections to discuss your collection. To assist with appraisal considerations, please provide any existing inventories or other documentation about the collection’s contents, condition, and context.
    • We request, at minimum, a box-level listing of materials. A folder- or item-level inventory is optimal.
  • Review our standard deed of gift. This legally-binding document can be tailored to suit the particular needs of the collection.

External Donations

For all other donation inquiries:

  • Call or email JMU Music Special Collections to discuss your collection. To assist with appraisal considerations, please provide any existing inventories or other documentation about the collection’s contents, condition, and context.
    • We request, at minimum, a box-level listing of materials. A folder- or item-level inventory is optimal
  • Review our standard deed of gift. This legally-binding document can be tailored to suit the particular needs of the collection.

Additional Financial Considerations

JMU Music Special Collections is part of a non-profit organization and adheres to the following guidelines:

  • Collections will only be accepted as donated gifts. JMU Music Special Collections cannot give the donor any reciprocal gifts, financial or otherwise, in exchange for the donated collection.
  • JMU Music Special Collections cannot appraise a collection or individual items for monetary value.
    • If considering seeking a monetary appraisal of a collection for tax deduction, consult your tax accountant and/or attorney.
    • Donors are responsible for arrangement and payment for any monetary appraisal(s) of a collection.

JMU Music Special Collections does not pay for or reimburse donors for shipping and insuring collections or individual items. Donors are responsible for shipping costs, inclusive of insurance