Reading Room Usage
1. Readers are required to register upon their first visit to the College Archives and will be signed in on each subsequent visit. Registration forms will become part of the permanent record of the department.
2. All material must be used in the Archives Reading Room.
3. Neither food nor drinks are allowed in the Archives Reading Room.
4. All packages, bags, briefcases, and coats will be stored in the location designated by the staff. All personal property brought into the reading room is subject to inspection upon leaving.
5. Readers must use pencil or laptop computer for note taking. Pens, markers and scanners may not be used in the Archival Reading Room.
6. Readers must wash their hands with soap and water before handling collections. Residue from hand sanitizer can harm collections and therefore, should not be used before handling any materials. In some instances, readers may be directed to wear gloves by staff.
7. Care must be taken in handling all Archival and Special Collections material. All items must lie flat on the tables. Nothing is to be placed on top of the material.
8. The original order of all collections must be maintained. Do not rearrange material. Please report any disarrangement to the staff.
9. Reference scans for research purposes may be made available upon request. The Archives reserves the right to limit the number of copies made and to refuse to copy any item if such copying will damage the material. Copies of entire books, manuscript collections or archival record groups will not be made. We reserve the right to refuse to copy material which in our judgment would involve violation of the copyright law.
10. Reproduction of photographs, videos or audio-visual material will be performed by the College. Please consult with the College Archivist for further information.
11. Readers who wish to publish, reprint or reproduce materials in the collection should request permission in writing from the College Archivist. For publication of photographs, refer to the Photograph Publication Contract below.
Photograph Publication Contract
link to print Photographic Publication Contract (PDF)
1. Purchase of a photographic print does not carry with it the right to publish or to make a reproduction in any form. Researchers may not reproduce or permit others to reproduce purchased photographic copies without written permission from the College Archivist or Assistant Archivist. Photographic images for personal use do not require a contract. Any other use, such as publication or exhibition, requires specific written permission from the College Archivist or Assistant Archivist.
2. Permission is for non-exclusive, one-time use only, with no other rights. Permission is limited to the use and format as indicated by the applicant only, and excludes all other uses and formats. All subsequent use and reuse, in any form, must be applied for in writing.
3. Permission is valid only for the individual, company, or institution to whom it is specifically issued and may not be transferred, assigned, sold, or otherwise disposed of without prior written permission of the College Archivist or Assistant Archivist.
4. In authorizing the publication of a photographic copy the College does not surrender its own right to use the image, or to grant that right to others.
5. A credit line must appear directly beneath the image published or reproduced. Video and film credits must appear in the section devoted to acknowledgments. The proper citation for each image should read: "College of the Holy Cross Archives" or "College of the Holy Cross Distinctive Collections" as appropriate.
6. One complimentary copy of any publication in which images from the College of the Holy Cross Archives and Distinctive Collections appear shall be sent to the College of the Holy Cross Archives. This includes books, brochures, pamphlets, periodicals, exhibition catalogues, and other media.
7. Responsibility for observance of copyright and other publication rights, including literary rights, as defined by the Copyright Act of 1998, rests with the applicant and not with the College of the Holy Cross. The applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless the College of the Holy Cross and the contributing organizations against any and all claims by third parties.
8. College of the Holy Cross Archives & Distinctive Collections reserves the right to charge for the use of materials as it deems appropriate in any individual case.
I/We herewith agree to the conditions specified above:
Name (sign) _____________________ Name (print)______________
Date_____________ Address:________________________________
Telephone:_______________ Publisher_________________________
Format & Title____________________________________________
Image Description__________________________________________
Date of Publication ________________
Author(s) ________________________________________________
Collection Development Policy
Mission Statement
The mission of Archives & Distinctive Collections at the College of the Holy Cross is to collect, preserve, and provide access to a wide variety of materials represented in the College Archives, Rare Books Collections, Special Collections, and Digital Scholarship. The Archives & Distinctive Collections department works to engage with the entire Holy Cross community and affiliated researchers through the shared goal of preserving the College’s history, fostering a scholarly research environment, and acquiring items reflective of our diverse academic community. We seek to make these materials as accessible as possible through an active instruction program, scholarly collaborations, robust online repositories, digitization, and exhibitions.
Vision Statement
Archives & Distinctive Collections strives to be an active member in support of the academic mission of the College by playing a distinctive role in assisting a broad research community. We seek to build collections that are wholly representative of the Holy Cross community, in addition to unique collecting areas not well covered by other existing repositories. Our mission to acquire and preserve materials in a variety of formats is coupled with a commitment to outreach and access in order to engage and collaborate with faculty, students, and campus offices in new and innovative uses of our collections in order to highlight history, strengthen scholarship and build new digital projects.
College Archives
The Holy Cross Archives collection includes administrative records from the offices of the president, deans and other college officials, as well as records of the college staff, faculty, student organizations, athletics and alumni. It also contains complete runs of all college publications including yearbooks, the college catalog, The Crusader, its predecessor The Tomahawk,The Purple, newsletters, pamphlets, and similar material. An extensive photograph collection documents administrators, staff, faculty, students, alumni, athletic teams, student activities, the built environment and college life in general. There is also an extensive collection of audio visual material documenting theatrical plays, lectures, and sporting and other events.
The Archives actively collects records of enduring value in the following areas
- Official college records
- Of the governing bodies of the college, such as the Board of Trustees
- Of the administrative offices of the college
- Of the academic departments and programs of the college
- Of the faculty as a body, in committee or individually
- Of student organizations, clubs and activities
- Of the athletics, intercollegiate and intramural sports programs
- Supporting materials to the official college records
- About the alumni, individually or in groups
- All college publications including student publications
- Honors Theses, Fenwick Scholar projects and prize-winning works
- Faculty and alumni authored books and artistic performances
- Publications about college history
- Works produced as a result of the use of archival material
- Objects relevant to the collection focus of the Archives
The materials types and formats collected by the Archives are broad and include books, journals, newspapers, yearbooks, manuscripts, architectural drawings, paper documents, photographs, slides, film, electronic files, sound recordings and objects. Some examples are
- Departmental newsletters
- Correspondence, memorandums, meeting minutes and other office files
- Typewritten copies of speeches given at college events or external events in support of the college’s mission
- Pamphlets and flyers advertising the college as well as the college’s programs and events
- Annual Reports and other major reports such as space studies and program reviews
- Programs of events held on campus
- Photographs of people, campus and college events
- Committee files
- Sport media guides, schedules and rosters
- Student and departmental publications
- Reunion records
- Recordings of college events such as performances, lectures, athletic games and major ceremonies
- Materials documenting the student experience including records of student organizations
Records that are NOT collected by the Archives include
- Personnel records
- Medical records
- Educational records of living persons, i.e. gradebooks, graded copies of student’s work, transcripts, etc.
- Invoices, receipts and other budget records
- Photocopies
- Records containing personal identifying or sensitive information
- Materials not related to the college or college activities
- Active records, i.e. materials still actively being edited or used.
Duplicates
Due to the limitations of both physical and digital storage, the Archives are unable to accept duplicate copies of items already held in our collections. Some exceptions may be made if the second copy has unique features. Generally, copies of the major college publications such as but not limited to the Purple Patcher, Holy Cross Magazine, the Purple, and Course Catalog are not accepted because copies of these publications are received upon release by the department of origin.
Objects and Artwork
The Archives maintains a collection of college memorabilia and ephemera. While this collection is actively growing, the department must be selective to ensure the objects are adequately cared for and preserved. In some instances, items may be more appropriate for the Cantor Art Gallery collection. The Archives & Distinctive Collections department works closely with gallery staff in these instances.
New Collecting Initiatives
The Archives & Distinctive Collections department recognizes there are gaps and deficiencies in our records. The Archives are dedicated to filling those gaps and strive to collect materials which tell the stories of
- Persons of color
- The LGBTQIA+ community
- The first women at the College including students and faculty members
- Holy Cross in the local Worcester community
Additionally, the Archives are committed to expanding our holdings documenting the student experience from the student perspective. Highly-desired materials include records of student organizations, materials and photographs documenting significant events on campus such as the BSU Walkout in 1969 and the Sit-In in 2019. Candid photographs especially from 1990 to present also are desirable.
Distinctive Collections
The Distinctive Collections consists of the Rare Book Collection, the Jesuitana Collection, the Manuscripts Collection and the Realia Collection. These collections include materials such as books, decorative art objects, manuscripts and personal papers, newspapers, scrapbooks, pamphlets, graphic materials, prints, paintings, ephemera and realia. Additionally, the Deaf Catholic Archives (DCA) is located in Distinctive Collections. This collection holds materials pertaining to the history of Deaf culture and gives an understanding of how Deaf Catholics practice their faith (culturally) in new ways, when traditional methods are insufficient. Rev. Joseph Bruce, S.J., founder and curator of the Deaf Catholic Archives, is responsible for developing the DCA.
Jesuitana
This collection contains materials by and about the Jesuits from their founding in 1540 to the present. Many were published before the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773. In addition to documenting the history of the society, materials also highlight the Jesuits’ contributions to life, thought and culture.
Manuscript Collection
The Manuscript Collection holds the personal papers of individuals and families as well as records of organizations, businesses and other entities. Noted collections include the papers of James Michael Curley, David I. Walsh, Louise Imogen Guiney, Dorothy Wayman and Rev. Joseph J. Williams, S.J.
The subject strengths of this collection are
- Government Services with a strong emphasis on Catholic Politicians from New England
- Irish American Experience in New England
- Jesuits and Catholicism with a strong focus on individual Jesuits, Catholic Organizations, and New England Church History
- Local Worcester History
- Military History
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
- Writers, in particular writers and journalists from New England
Rare Books
This collection contains books published prior to 1860, artists’ sketchbooks, autographed volumes, monetarily valuable books and works with limited availability. While there is a broad range of subjects represented, the strengths of the collection are bibles, Catholicism, American literary first editions and Americana
Additionally, this collection includes the personal libraries of Louise and Patrick Guiney as well as Bishop James Augustine Healey. Books given to the College by Georgetown University in 1843 also may be found.
Realia Collection
This collection mostly consists of decorative art objects, artwork and other historical objects. When Dinand Library opened in 1927, there was a museum space and many of the objects in this collection are connected to the former museum. Currently, the Archives & Distinctive Collections are not actively collecting objects due to space limitations and their specialized storage requirements. Exceptions may be made in extraordinary circumstances and any new additions must have a strong connection to the existing manuscript or realia collections.
Collecting Priorities
The Archives & Distinctive Collections department recognizes there are gaps and deficiencies in our holdings. The department is dedicated to filling those gaps and making our collections more diverse and inclusive. New collecting priorities include
- Artist sketchbooks, artist books and other materials related to the Dr. Mark D. Nevins '86 Collection for the Study of Comics and Graphic Novels
- Rare books and facsimiles of significant text supporting coursework
- Materials documenting Jesuit history with an emphasis on New England and Holy Cross Jesuit history
- Collections pertaining to Catholic politicians from New England
- Collections and materials documenting women, particularly women in science, and marginalized groups. We are especially interested in items with some connection to Holy Cross.
CrossWorks
CrossWorks is a dynamic institutional repository based on the principle of Open Access. It enables the College to collect, preserve, and provide broad access to the works of the faculty, students, and staff at the College of the Holy Cross. Members of the Holy Cross community interested in submitting materials should consult with the Digital Scholarship Librarian. Appropriate content may be added following the guidelines below
- The work must be original, produced or sponsored by a member of the Holy Cross community.
- The work must be creative, scholarly in nature, research oriented, or of institutional significance.
- The author must own the copyright to all content and additional components within the work, or have received and shown permission to have the material available on CrossWorks.
- Contributors may include non-affiliated scholars if they are co-authoring with Holy Cross authors or are affiliated closely with the College, e.g., are emeritus professors, or hold honorary degrees.
Examples of possible content are
- Working papers, conference materials, and technical reports
- Published articles when copyright and/or license allow
- Honors projects
- Faculty-student collaborative projects
- Journals published by the Holy Cross community
- Faculty course-related output primarily of scholarly interest
- Organizational annual reports and newsletters
- Strategic college documents
- Data sets, image galleries, multimedia projects
The author or representative of the organization or department must grant permission prior to material being uploaded to the repository, authorizing the College the right to preserve and distribute the material via CrossWorks (See Appendix B). Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Digital Scholarship Librarian. Submitters may choose to make material available only to the Holy Cross community. There is no formal limit to the amount of material and most file formats are acceptable.
Gift Policy
Archives & Distinctive Collections gratefully accepts material within our collecting scope and financial contributions to support its collections and programs. Please contact Abby Stambach, Head of Archives & Distinctive Collections (astambac@holycross.edu or 508-793-2506) before sending any items for inclusion in the archival, manuscript or rare book collections. A list and description of the materials you are offering is required so that staff may ensure they fit within the collecting scope and be adequately cared for. Additionally, please provide a description of the condition of the materials. Since there are limited funds for conservation work, materials in fair or poor condition or have evidence of mold or pest damage are not accepted. After the list is received, it will be reviewed and you will be contacted by department staff.
Donations to Archives & Distinctive Collections require the completion of a Deed of Gift Form. (Appendix A). As agreed in the Deed of Gift, donations become the property of the College, which reserves the right to dispose of materials not chosen for inclusion in the collections. Archives & Distinctive Collections is not able to appraise gift items, and any appraisal information used by the donor for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor.
Monetary donations, or a request for more detailed information on planned giving, may be sent to the Director of Library Services, Mark Shelton (mshelton@holycross.edu or 508-793-3372).
Appendix A
College of the Holy Cross Archives & Special Collections
One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610-23
DEED OF GIFT
Link to Print Deed of Gift (.pdf)
The College of the Holy Cross Archives & Special Collections gratefully acknowledges the receipt from:
Donor:______________________________________________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________________
of the following materials: ________________________________________________
I hereby make a gift of these materials to the College of the Holy Cross. By making this gift, I assign and convey to the College of the Holy Cross legal title and any and all copyrights and/or other intellectual property rights that I hold in these materials. The rights assigned include the right to create derivative works or compilations and to record or fix the materials in any tangible medium that currently exists or that may be developed. Title and rights shall pass to the College of the Holy Cross at the time of the transference of materials.
The College of the Holy Cross may use its discretion in the disposition of materials considered appropriate for retention in its collections unless instructions, if any, are stated below. Disposition instructions, if any: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Access to these materials will be provided in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Archives & Special Collections unless restrictions, if any, are stated below:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I certify that I have read the terms of this deed and that I have absolute authority to donate this property.
Donor's Signature:_____________________________________________ Date:_______________
Print Donor's Name:____________________________________________________________
For The Archives and Special Collections_________________________ Date:_______________
Appendix B
College of the Holy Cross Library Services
CrossWorks Submission Agreement
Link to print CrossWorks Submission Agreement (.pdf)
CrossWorks is an open-access institutional repository maintained by the College of the Holy Cross Library Services to collect, preserve and provide access to the scholarly and creative work produced by the Holy Cross Community. To properly administer this repository, contributors are asked to sign the CrossWorks Submission Agreement:
I grant to Holy Cross the non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, distribute, or reproduce the deposited work(s) in any format or medium for inclusion in CrossWorks for non-commercial, research, educational or related academic purposes only. This agreement does not transfer copyright to Holy Cross. Other than this limited license, the Contributor or copyright holder retains all intellectual property rights to the work(s) and the responsibility for enforcing those rights.
I represent and warrant that the submission is my original work and, to the best of my knowledge, does not infringe on the rights of others. When using material created by others, my use complies with fair use of the copyright law and includes appropriate citations and/or permissions. The library has permission to withdraw the materials from CrossWorks without notice in the event such materials are alleged to have violated another's intellectual property rights or in the event the College determines doing so is in the best interest of the College.
I acknowledge that my work(s) may constitute an education record(s) and agree that such record(s) may be disclosed to library patrons for their informational purposes, subject to the disclosure limitations defined below.
I agree that Holy Cross may keep more than one copy of my work(s), which may be migrated to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation and access in the future.
My submission will be maintained in an open access online digital environment via CrossWorks, a service of the Holy Cross Library Services. My submission is intended for educational purposes only. This license shall not authorize the commercial use of the materials by Holy Cross or any other person or organization. Because materials on CrossWorks are available to anyone with internet access, I do not hold Holy Cross responsible for third party use of my submission
Please check one of the following options and sign and date below
☐Open Access (you give permission to make your work available online for anyone to read)
☐Limited Access (you give permission to make your work available online for anyone to read after a delayed release up to ____ years)
☐Restricted Access (you give permission to make your work available to users logged in to the Holy Cross network, with the option to make available to anyone after ____ years)
By typing my name into the author field I am agreeing to the terms above and attaching my electronic signature. I understand that if I do not agree to these terms, I should not sign my name.
Author:_________________________________________________ Date:_______________
Holy Cross email:______________________ or permanent email:______________________
Title:________________________________________________________________________
Keyword(s):__________________________________________________________________
Department: _________________________________________________________________
Faculty advisor signature ( if student) ______________________________ Date :__________
Please indicate which criteria this work meets:
☐College Honors
☐Departmental Honors
☐Faculty-sponsored research
☐College publication
☐Other ____________________________________________________________________