Donating materials
The University Library’s collections have to a large extent been built up through donations. Even today, we see it as our task to receive both old and newer materials of general, historical or cultural interest, for the purpose of preserving it for posterity, at the same time as it is made available for today’s researchers.
The Library has many different types of material that has been gifted. For example, you can find archives left by persons or associations. The content of the archives vary, but usually consist of letters, manuscripts, diaries, photographs, drawings and in some cases also of printed books and maps. However, archives do not have to be complete to be of interest. Larger or smaller collections of, for example, sheet music, engravings, drawings, maps, images and books, as well as individual objects may be of great value to research.
What can you donate?
The Library accepts:
- Individual archives, including letter collections from authors, historians, theologians, politicians, artists, musicians and other cultural personalities, or persons who have been active at Uppsala University and whose estates are of interest for current and future research. The archives of institutions and associations may also be donated to the Library.
Advice and information for the handover of your archive. - Cuttings collections are accepted exceptionally, and only in conjunction with an archive.
- Autograph collections.
- Individual manuscripts, old or new, western or oriental, that have a historical, literary, or other cultural value.
- Material that supplements the Library’s collections by in some way or another linking to an archive or individual object owned by the Library.
- Pictures: photographs, photo albums, photo collections, architectural drawings, drawings, engravings, lithographs. Portraits of persons from academia and the University and those active within politics, culture and business are of great interest. Image material with topographical subjects (cities, villages, buildings) also constitutes a valuable supplement to the collections. Persons and subjects from Uppsala and Uppland County are of great interest, but also national and international material.
- Maps: hand-drawn, engraved, printed, and atlases. The Library has a large collection of Swedish maps in particular. We are happy to supplement the collections with both Swedish and foreign maps.
- Books or book collections (included books with dedications), newspapers, periodicals, minor prints that supplement or increase existing collections. The Library houses all Swedish printed material from 1483 onwards, but one-off publications may be valuable to supplement collections. Read about collections of older printed matter.
- Digital archives, text and image material and email correspondence, stored on hard disks, CD-ROM, DVD or older diskettes from private individuals, associations or institutions. Note that we do currently not have any possibility of maintaining and making available all types of files and content.
The Library does not accept:
- Objects, statues, statuettes, oil paintings, coins and medals.
For objects and works of art, in particular those with links to Uppsala and academia, please contact Uppsala University Museums (Museum Gustavianum, Evolution Museum, Medical Museum, Coin Cabinet and the Art Collections).
Do you have any material that you think may be of interest to research and posterity? Irrespective of what material you want to donate to the Library, you are welcome to contact us.
E-mail: ask.library@ub.uu.se
Terms and conditions for donations
Material may be donated or willed to the Library. A donation document is drawn up, regulating the terms and conditions for using the material. The purpose is primarily that, with the donation, the material should be freely available for research. However, some parts of the material, if considered necessary and as agreed with the Library, may be covered by a permit requirement before being studies, or be sealed for a set period.
A donation means that the ownership rights are transferred in their entirety to Uppsala University Library, which will store and provide the material, and to the extent resources permit also sort, describe and catalogue it.
The Library is in no way obliged to receive material offered, and reserves the right, according to the agreement in the donation document, to later eliminate those parts of the donation that it is not the task of the Library to preserve.
As a donor, you are of course always welcome to take part on location of the material that you have donated to the Library.
Term and conditions for depositions
In exceptional circumstances, the Library will receive depositions. A deposition means that the ownership right to the material remains with the depositor. In such cases, the long-term intention shall be that the deposition is transferred into a donation, according to a time plan agreed in advance. Depositions are not normally arranged and registered by the Library. For depositions, a deposition document is drawn up.
Delivery
Ahead of delivery of an archive – in particular if it is a large archive – we would like to inspect the scope and character of the archive on location. We will then agree what is relevant for the Library, and what cannot be accepted. The delivery is then done by the donor him-/herself bringing the archive to the Library, or the Library collecting it.
One-off objects (a manuscript, a couple of letters, photographs, etc.) can be sent as registered post.
Digital archives or the contents of hard disks are most easily delivered by CD-ROM, DVD or USB.