Donating to Yukon Archives

Individuals, families, organizations and businesses donate a wide variety of records to us. These include:

• textual records;
• photographic records;
• audio-visual records;
• maps; and
• plans.
   

This makes it difficult to generalize about the kinds of records we take. Donors are sometimes surprised at what we consider historically valuable.

See About the collections for examples of the records held here.

Original records

We accept donations of original materials rather than copies. Originals are the most authentic form of documents; copies involve some loss of fidelity.

We are very interested in learning more about the archival material created by your family or organization, such as:

• written records; and
• original photographs.
   

Your material could be a good fit for our holdings.

Artifacts and objects

A museum is a better home for objects, or artifacts. We recommend you contact one of the many Yukon museums or cultural centres if you have objects you wish to donate.

Records from other archives

We do not accept copies of records held by other archives, libraries or repositories. This policy allows us to devote our resources to the unique and original records at Yukon Archives.

Electronic photos, documents and emails

We are planning a program to preserve and provide access to digital records. Contact us to talk about what computer files we may be able to accept now and in the future.

Accepting archival records

When we decide whether to acquire archival material, we consider:

• the mandate of Yukon Archives and other institutions;
• the completeness of the records;
• the resources needed for us to make the records available to researchers in a reasonable period of time;
• how the records might strengthen or weaken our existing holdings;
• the availability of appropriate storage space;
• the extent and terms of restrictions a potential donor plans to place on the records;
• the physical condition of the records; and
• the resources and ability we need to conserve records for a reasonable/indefinite period of time.

Accepting donations for the Archives Library

We have criteria for what we decide to accept as donation to the Archives Library.

Do the publications fit with the library’s focus for collecting?

The focus includes:

• non-fiction about Yukon or neighbouring jurisdictions as well as polar regions; and
• fiction and other works of the imagination with:
  • Yukon settings and characters;
  • northern Canadian or Alaskan settings; or
  • works with themes relevant to Yukon.

Are the publications already represented in the archives?

What happens to records

Accessioning records

Once you've signed the donation receipt the records will be accessioned. We give your record a unique number and document the records entering the archives.

Processing the records

We process the records so researchers can use them. Processing can involve:

• arranging the records, although the goal is to maintain the order established by the person who created them;
• putting them into appropriate folders and boxes;
• attending to any preservation requirements; and
• describing the records according to archival standards. Descriptions:
  • can vary from an overall explanation of the material to a description of individual items;
  • include the content and format of photographs; and
  • are entered into a database to make them available for patrons to search.

What happens to publications

We catalogue publications and make them available through our Public Access Catalogue (PAC). To help patrons search for information, we may include in the catalogue:

• a short summary or abstract of the publication;
• list the table of contents; and
• add subject headings and keywords.

We also identify special features such as handwritten annotations and limited edition runs.

You can search the PAC by keyword, author, title and call number. Depending upon the age of the title, we may add an e-book link if a digital copy is available.

Storing records and publications

All material is stored in our secure, environmentally controlled vaults to ensure their long-term preservation.

The Friends of Yukon Archives Society (FOYAS) accepts financial donations on our behalf. Email [email protected] to discuss the kind of project you are interested in supporting.

Financial contributions can be used to:

• acquire new material;
• process material already owned by the archives; or
• target certain items in our holdings for preservation or access projects.