Departmental Transfer of Records

It will be helpful both to your office and to the Archives and Special Collections if you could designate one person to deal with the Archives on matters relating to the transfer.  If possible, choose the person who has dealt with the Archives before and is familiar with the process of transferring inactive records.  Note: The University Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to refuse any transfers that do not meet the following basic requirements.

1. Contact the Archives and Special Collections for a consultation on your inactive records. Archives staff will help your department identify records of permanent value that should be transferred to the archives.
   
   
2. If the files designated as archival have not been culled to remove extraneous material, ask Archives staff about what to discard.
   
   
3. Packing procedures for transfer are extremely important. Please note the following:
   • Material must be contained in file folders which are clearly labelled. There should be no loose material.
   • Please ensure the box is fully packed. The files should be flush against both sides of the box and standing vertically, as they would in a filing cabinet.  Use care to not over pack the box - you should be able to reach your fingertips to the bottom of the box.
   • Do not use hanging folders for transferring files.
   • Do not send binders.  Packing material in binders wastes space. Material in binders should be removed and placed in file folders.
   • Do not use photocopy paper boxes. The Archives uses standard records storage shelving and therefore requires that departments pack their material in standard one cubic foot records storage (bankers) boxes. The required bankers boxes can be purchased by your department or the Archives will provide used boxes, if they have an adequate supply of them on hand. Records will be returned to your department if they are transferred in photocopy paper boxes.
4. Once the files have been boxed, prepare a file listing noting box numbers. This list should contain the following information:
   • Accurate title of the file
   • Opening and closing dates of the file
   • The name of the office from which the records are coming from
   • The date on which the listing was compiled
   • The name and contact information of the individual to be contacted if any questions arise concerning the transfer
5. Transfer the file list to the Archives as an attachment to an e-mail message (duasc@dal.ca). That way the Archives has the data in electronic format and can manipulate it to produce finding aids. Hard copies of the file list formatted as individual box lists should also be placed inside the boxes. Please do not attach the list to the outside of the box. The list will be vulnerable to damage or removal and it is preferable that details about the contents of the box not be widely available.
   
   
6. Once boxing and listing is completed, send the boxes via truck messenger to:

Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections
c/o Killam Library Shipping
6225 University Avenue
Halifax, NS B3H 4H8

7. Once the transfer is completed the Archives will accession the transferred records and assign an accession number to them. The accession number will be sent to you with a revised file list if re-boxing has been necessary. Please keep the accession number and file list in your files for reference purposes in case you need access to any of the files that you have transferred.
   
   
8. For additional information concerning the transfer of unit records to the University Archives contact: Michael Moosberger, University Archivist at (902) 494-5176 or by e-mail at Michael.Moosberger@dal.ca.