About Us

Collection Development Policy

The Acadian Archives/Archives acadiennes serve as a repository for published and archival materials pertaining to the history and culture of the Upper Saint John Valley, with special emphasis on the region’s French-heritage population. Areas of focus include:

• Materials that provide insights about Acadian culture in its many facets, particularly with respect to language, folk life and folklore, and identity;
• Genealogical resources on the Acadian and French-Canadian families of the Upper Saint John Valley and their ancestors in eastern Canada and Quebec;
• Histories of the Saint John Valley borderland and its communities;
• General and thematic histories of French Canada and northern Maine from the colonial period to the present;
• Histories and cultural studies of Indigenous peoples of the Northeast, particularly in their interactions with the settler population;
• Literary works of special significance to North America’s French-heritage population.

Materials beyond these areas of focus may be acquired on a case-by-case basis if deemed pertinent to research inquiries received at the Archives.

I. Archival Collections

These collections include textual records; maps, plans, and drawings; photographs, films, and other recordings, pictorial and graphic works and paintings; microfilm rolls and microfiches; artifacts; and virtual documents.

The Archives will only acquire material on a permanent basis, except when borrowing materials for short-term loans for reproduction or to include in displays or exhibits.

Notwithstanding the intrinsic or informational value of collections, the acquisition of collections will take into account the Archives’ resources required to make the materials available for research purposes in a reasonable amount of time, the extent and terms of any restrictions, the legal rights of the donor to place the records at the Archives, the materials’ relationship to the strengths and weaknesses of existing holdings, the availability of storage facilities, the physical condition of the materials, and the Archives’ ability to conserve them for a reasonable period of time.

In the case that published materials and archival materials are donated together, the former may be cataloged separately; in this instance, a note of their donation will be made in the catalog record.

Donors must fill out a deed of gift form with each donation. Please reach out to our staff with questions regarding donations or loans.

II. Publications

The Archives are also home to a small library of relevant published materials, including books and periodicals for both circulation and in-house use. This library contains works in English and in French. Due to space restrictions, the Archives does not keep more than two copies of a published work.

Materials may be turned away if they are available from other library institutions through the state interlibrary loan program. A published work’s condition and relevance to existing holdings may also factor into the Archives’ ability to accept it as a donation.

Deaccessioning of Materials

The Archives retains the right to remove any materials from the collections that do not support the Collection Development Policy or that duplicate existing holdings. Should materials be removed, staff will abide by the preference selected by the donor on the deed of gift form for the disposal of such materials.

The Acadian Archives will revise the Collection Development Policy periodically to ensure that it meets the institutional mission statement.