Collection Policy

Statement of Purpose

The mission of the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History is to collect, protect, and make available for research, materials relating to the history of Boulder County with a special emphasis on Boulder. The Carnegie is a reference library and no materials circulate.

Priorities and limitations of holdings

Geographical areas covered

Boulder County with an emphasis on Boulder

Languages

Materials will be accepted in only English

Forms of materials acquired

The most popular forms of materials include documents, photographs, maps, microforms, oral history tapes, dated newspaper clippings pertaining to a single topic, scrapbooks, ephemera, books, pamphlets, monographs, and serials

Exclusions

Restricted collections not accessible to the public
Duplicates of materials currently in the collection unless determined rare
Undated and unidentified photographs
Newspapers currently on microfilm unless rare
Books by Boulder authors outside of the scope of our collection policy

Statement of reappraisal and deaccessioning policy

Materials already in the collection which do not reflect the collecting areas of the Carnegie may be deaccessioned and offered to other more appropriate institutions or back to the donor depending upon the requirements in the donor agreement.

Types of programs supported by the collection

Research

The primary program of the Carnegie is to further historical research by collecting and preserving research materials and cataloging them via the Boulder Public Library catalog.

Outreach

Documents and photographs are used in preparing and presenting outreach programs including presentations, lecture series, workshops, and tours. In an effort to promote Boulder County history, the Library does promote programming and presentations by local historians and collectors. Volunteers of the Maria Rogers Oral History Program interview Boulder County residents about their lives and views of Boulder County.

Exhibits

In order to promote our collections, monthly exhibits of materials are displayed in cases inside the Carnegie Branch Library. Reproductions of some photographs have been made available for traveling exhibits to the other branches of the Boulder Public Library. Materials may be duplicated by staff for the public in order to promote exhibits outside of the library.

Publications

The updated 1985 publication of the "Archival Procedure Manual", by Todd Ellison details cataloging procedures at the Carnegie Branch Library.

Clientele served by the collection

Under supervision of library staff, the collection will be made available to historians, writers, scholars, genealogists, and members of the general public who are engaged in serious research.