The University Archives is committed to maintaining the records that document Drexel University’s history. This means preserving records created by our University’s founder, as well as actively collecting documents that reflect the University today.  

We build our collections through transfers from University departments and campus organizations and through donations from faculty, students, alumni/ae, and members of the public. We welcome any materials that fall within our collecting scope.  

If you have records you would like to transfer or donate, please check with us first by emailing archives@drexel.edu so we can discuss the materials and ensure they are a good fit for the University Archives.   

What is the difference between collection donations and transfers?  

In a donation, materials owned by another person or organization become Drexel University property. In a transfer, the materials are already owned by Drexel but are shifted from another unit to the University Archives. 

Collecting Scope

• Photographs
• Letters and memos
• Scrapbooks and memorabilia
• Meeting minutes of committees and organizations
• Event programs and flyers
• Reports
• Lecture notes and course syllabi
• Campus publications
• Films and videos of campus events
• Plans and blueprints of campus buildings
• Books by Drexel authors 

The Drexel University Archives does not collect the following: 

• Materials documenting the history of the College of Medicine and its predecessor institutions. Visit The Legacy Center for more information about donating materials related to the College of Medicine. 
• Artifacts such as clothing, trophies, dishware, plaques, tools, furniture
• Paintings on canvas and sculptures
• Payroll, personnel, and medical records
• Old textbooks (unless published by Drexel authors)
• Computer equipment and software applications

Materials collected by the University Archives are placed in secure storage, organized according to archival principles, and in most cases made available for all members of the public to access in our reading room. In some cases, materials may be restricted for reasons of legal privacy, University policy, or at a donor’s request. The Archives only accepts materials on a permanent basis and cannot accept materials on loan. Our collections do not circulate. 

For information on implementing the University’s Records Management Policy, visit our Records Management Services webpage.

What to Donate

University Archives staff work closely with donors to identify materials that should be preserved. Although not all papers and records fall within the collecting scope of the Archives, the types of materials listed in the following sections are often valuable. These lists are suggestive but not definitive. Archives staff are happy to answer questions and help arrange for material pickup or transfer.

• Drexel faculty & staff 
  
• University departments
• Student organizations
• Individual students and alumni/ae