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Donate Your Materials to the Harvard University Archives

Work with the Harvard University Archives to add your materials to Harvard’s intellectual, cultural, social, religious, and administrative history

Welcome

The Harvard University Archives is the primary repository for the documentation of over 400 years of Harvard’s intellectual, cultural, social, religious, and administrative history — a history that parallels and adds to the story of the growth of the United States.

We continue to build our collections so that we can share a multi-layered and nuanced story of life and work at Harvard, as well as the individual stories of contributors to our history and community into the 21st century.

We work with individual donors, as well as Harvard faculty and staff, to identify materials that contribute to our collecting goals, and assist with the details of making a contribution of materials to our permanent collections.

Schedule a Consultation

Archivists and records managers at the Harvard University Archives work closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, family members, and other donors to identify materials of research interest to preserve.

The Archives is interested in a wide range of material documenting the University and the people who work, study, and reside in its ever-changing environment.

Harvard Faculty 

Faculty interested in working with an archivist to preserve their intellectual legacy and personal archives at the University Archives should contact the Collection Development department.

Administrators & Staff

Administrators and staff interested in transferring historical and permanent records to the University Archives should contact our Records Management department for guidance and consultation.

Students & Alumni 

Students and alumni interested in speaking with an archivist about donating materials related to Harvard to the University Archives should contact the Collection Development department.

Family & Friends

Family of alumni, friends, and others interested in speaking with an archivist about donating materials related to Harvard to the University Archives should contact the Collection Development department.

Tax Benefits and Appraisals

In certain circumstances, donations may qualify as tax-deductible, entitling donors to an income tax deduction by claiming a gift as a charitable donation.  Donors are encouraged to speak with their tax accountants or attorneys about this possibility.

Faculty Guidelines

Donating Digital Materials

The Harvard University Archives collects and preserves email, websites, and other born digital records and images.

Collecting these materials enhances documentation of the current history of Harvard University, and provides future access to the words, thoughts, and actions of many individuals and organizations in the late 20th century and beyond.

The Harvard Library stores and preserves email via its Digital Repository Service (DRS). We are happy to discuss materials in these formats during a consultation.