University of Calgary Archives

University of Calgary Archives

• UARC

• Universitaire

The University of Calgary was established in 1966 when it gained autonomy from the University of Alberta. An archive for the university’s records was approved by the university president in about 1972 but the University Archives only began operations a decade later. The first University Archivist was appointed in December 1983. In 1996 the Archives began providing an integrated records management and archives program for the campus. In 2003 the University Archives was one of four units that merged to become Archives and Special Collections, headed by an Assistant Director. The position of University Archivist was abolished. The authority for approving records retention rules is now shared between the Information Management Compliance Officer, reporting to Legal Services, and the University Records Committee, consisting of archivists and other campus experts.

The University Archives acquires two major categories of records under its acquisition mandate.

The University Archives is the repository for the corporate records of the University of Calgary. The Archives’ primary responsibility is to acquire and preserve the official records of the University, in all formats, which contain continuing administrative, legal or historical value. Records created, received, and accumulated by the governing bodies of the University, and by University committees, faculties, departments and administrative units are included under this mandate.

The Archives selectively acquires records that document the wider University community and which reflect the academic and cultural heritage of the institution. These records include the private papers of groups such as the Faculty Association, the Students’ Union, student and social clubs, and the personal papers of prominent faculty, staff, and students.

The Uniiversity Archives is governed by the following policies:
Information Asset Management Policy http://www.ucalgary.ca/policies/files/policies/Information%20Asset%20Management%20Policy.pdf
Records Retention and Disposition Policy http://www.ucalgary.ca/policies/files/policies/Records%20Retention%20and%20%20Disposition%20Policy.pdf

University Archives is one of three archives within Archives & Special Collections in Libraries and Cultural Resources.

Archival holdings are located in the Taylor Family Digital Library (Gold LEED certification) in environmentally controlled storage, or at the High Density Library. The TFDL was opened in 2011.

The University Archives houses original records relating to the University of Calgary, its faculty, students and staff. Records of the Calgary Normal School (1906-1945), Calgary College (1912-1915), the ‘University of Alberta, Calgary Branch’, the Calgary University Committee (1945-1966) and the autonomy movement document the university’s origins and the events that led to it becoming an autonomous university in 1966. Theses and dissertations, campus newspapers, yearbooks, calendars, annual reports, campus newspapers, convocation lists, commemorative programmes, photographs and other materials are available to researchers on request to the Archives. Access to administrative records is restricted for 15 years following date of creation.

Digital collections including Road to Autonomy, Honorary Degree Collection, Order of the University of Calgary, 40 Years of Autonomy, University Publications are available at: http://asc.ucalgary.ca/collections/digital

Monday-Friday 10-4:30 (Summer hours 11:00-4:30)
The Reading Room is closed on statutory holidays and between Christmas Eve and January 2nd.

University records are closed for 15 years unless intended to be in the public domain upon creation. Access may be granted through a Researcher Agreement.

For information on reproduction services: http://asc.ucalgary.ca/information-management/services/duplication-records

A small exhibit space is located outside of the Reading Room. Coffee and light meals are available on the main floor of the Taylor Family Digital Library.