Archival Manual | Donating Archival Materials

Table of Contents
MVZ researchers at camp in the Mojave Desert, 1947

Anyone considering a donation to the MVZ Archives should first contact mvzarchives[at]berkeley.edu to discuss the scope and content of materials. Suitable materials include those associated with MVZ research projects or expeditions, specimens, history, and personnel. Any materials coming from outside the MVZ must first be frozen and quarantined for pest control. See the handbook on Quarantine for detailed procedures.

Archival donations should be accompanied by either an Archive Transfer Form (inhouse donors) or a Deed of Gift Form (external donors). These forms provide a record of the donation and any condition(s) placed on the materials.  The form must be signed by both the donor and a MVZ staff member. Signed forms are filed in the MVZ Archives office.

Digital Images

Digital images are an important part of documenting field work and species occurrences. These images may be of animals, habitats, landscapes, or people/camps. As such, they add value to specimens, observations, and collecting events. Just like specimens, digital images taken during the course of research should be accompanied by good data and archived for future use. Researchers should contact the appropriate Staff Curator to make arrangements for transferring digital images and data to the museum.

It is the responsibility of the photographer to sort and label images prior to donation. The photographer should only donate images that are of unique value as an observation or that are related to a specimen or collecting trip. If multiple images are taken of the same site or subject, the photographer should choose the most informative or highest quality image(s) for donation.

Ready to submit photos? About to go into the field? Check out the these resources: