Archival Policies
Code of Ethics
The American Irish Historical Society recognizes the code of ethics of the following Organizations:
American Alliance of Museums (AAM)
Code of Ethics and Professional Practices for Collections Professionals (CS-AAM/ARCS)
International Council of Museums (ICOM)
Society of American Archivists (SAA)
In general principle, the American Irish Historical Society affirms and supports the contents of these codes.
The American Irish Historical Society was created to preserve and share the history of Irish Americans. Its collections are based on donations relating to this immigrant experience. As these materials are representative of a once forgotten history, AIHS is dedicated to preserving and caring for all materials to the best of its ability. Therefore, the code of ethics below must be followed.
1. Materials collected and maintained by AIHS align with its mission and its responsibilities to the public.
2. All materials are lawfully held, responsibly housed, protected and secure, and preserved to the best of their ability.
3. Materials kept in the archives of AIHS, as well as those displayed throughout the building, are well documented and accounted for.
4. AIHS provides regulated access to its collections and information on the archives is made public.
5. Materials collected and maintained by AIHS not only promote its history, but strive to show a diverse perspective and narratives.
6. Acquisitions, disposals, and external loans are considered only in the context of longevity and best practice. All such activities must bear in mind the preservation and safety of these collections.
7. No illicit trades may be made of archival materials, and proper forms must be used to document all movement of collections outside of AIHS.
8. Disposal of collections through sale, trade, or research activities is solely for the advancement of the society’s mission. Proceeds from the sale of nonliving collections are permitted for archival funds, but in no event shall they be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections.
9. Any presence of human remains, funerary, or sacred objects is recognized as the basis of all decisions concerning such collections, and archival processes regarding these specialized items should be taken with great care.
10. Collections related activities promote the public good rather than individual financial gain.
11. Any claims of ownership differing with AIHS in connection with objects in its custody shall be handled openly, seriously, responsively and with respect for all parties involved.
Collections Scope
The materials of the American Irish Historical Society are varied in format, material, location, time period, and subject matter. However, they are all focused on the Irish American experience, with materials from Ireland and The United States to represent a transnational narrative. AIHS houses its own organizational records, the records of other membership organizations, books, newspapers, clothing, paintings, sculptures, correspondences, papers, and other materials that fall into this general narrative. The collection dates from 1640 to 2020, though the majority of its materials fall in the years 1840–1960. This collection documents the historical struggles and triumphs of the Irish people, with a particular focus on emigration to The United States.
This collection is unique and valuable because it demonstrates a large and complex cultural history. At the time of its creation, there was very little focus on the Irish experience in America, which the society fought to change. Researchers, students, and those with any personal connection or general interest in the Irish American experience can benefit from the use of this collection, particularly as many of these donated materials are not represented in other archives.
Donations
A. Methods of Acquisition
The American Irish Historical Society is empowered by their governing authority, their board of directors, to acquire items for the collections by gift, bequest, exchange, transfer, and purchase.
“Acquisition” is the procurement of an object for the collection by the American Irish Historical Society. “Accessioning” is the process by which the title to an object passes to the American Irish Historical Society, establishing legal custody and ownership and providing information on how the American Irish Historical Society acquired the object.
B. Authority
The Lead Archivist is responsible for initiating the acquisition process in accordance with the criteria established in this document.
The Lead Archivist shall recommend objects for acquisition to the archival subcommittee. If approved by this committee, the Lead Archivist will complete the form with the donor and work on arranging details of acquisition.
C. Criteria for Collection Acquisition
The American Irish Historical Society only acquires an object for the collection with the intention of retaining it for the long term. No objects or documents shall be accepted into the permanent collection of the American Irish Historical Society with the sole purpose of being deaccessioned and sold.
Before any object is acquired by any means the following criteria must be met:
1. Collecting Scope
The American Irish Historical Society will only accept acquisitions that fall within the scope of its collections.
2. Format
The primary formats collected include fine arts (e.g. paintings, works on paper, sculptures, etc.), decorative arts (e.g. dishware, textiles, jewelry, furnishings, etc.), books, historical artifacts, archival collections, photographs, and digital material.
If records in an unusable format at the time of acquisition (e.g., electronic or audiovisual materials for which the American Irish Historical Society does not have the proper playback equipment) are acquired, provision for their transfer to other data sources should be made at the time of their acquisition.
3. Title
All acquisitions must be accompanied by a clear title that has been presented by the donor, seller, or the donor’s authorized agent. A clear title for an acquired object must be created through documentation signed by the owner/donor and the Lead Archivist. This should list any past titles, and give unique owners ability to suggest a title they see as the best fit, prior to Lead Archivist approval.
If the seller or donor owns copyright, it should be transferred by specific statement to the American Irish Historical Society.
For all rare and unique materials, verification of provenance must be provided to the best of the donor's ability.
4. Condition
The object is in good condition (or can be stabilized or conserved or, in the case of born-digital materials, transferred to another medium).
The object is in condition to be exhibited or, if for study, sufficiently stable to permit that activity.
The object is not immediately hazardous to people or property.
If in need of immediate conservation, the object exhibits an important connection to the American Irish Historical Society collections or programs making this effort worthwhile, or it is accompanied by a monetary donation for its conservation. No object shall be acquired for the collection if the American Irish Historical Society cannot provide proper storage, protection, and preservation.
If in need of immediate conservation, the object can be conserved within the available resources of the American Irish Historical Society, or is accompanied by a monetary donation for its conservation; No object shall be acquired for the collection if the American Irish Historical Society cannot provide proper storage, protection, and preservation.
Exceptionally large or damaged objects, or any object that cannot immediately be made available for research due to its size, poor state of preservation, physical instability, risk to staff or other objects, etc., will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and provisions required for the care and conservation of the object will be taken into account before accepting the object(s).
5. American Irish Historical Society’s Resources
The American Irish Historical Society must have the resources necessary to acquire and care for the object. The American Irish Historical Society can afford to transport, describe, and conserve the object. If an object is not offered as a gift or bequest, the American Irish Historical Society must be able to afford to purchase the object using an annual budget, designated acquisition funds, and funds donated specifically for purchasing objects.
The American Irish Historical Society has the capacity to secure, store, and/or exhibit the object safely.
6. Duplicates
In general, the American Irish Historical Society will not acquire duplicates of objects or materials already in the collection.
Exceptions to this may be considered on a case-by-case basis under the following circumstances:
Objects that are duplicates of things already in the collection may be accepted if they are in better condition, have a particular historical significance or association, or may be used for loans.
7. Legal and Ethical Considerations
The object has not been illegally imported into the United States or illegally collected within the United States. The American Irish Historical Society has done due diligence to confirm the object’s legal status to the best of its ability prior to acquisition.
8. Conditional Acquisitions
Gifts and bequests should be accepted only if they conform to the stated policies of the American Irish Historical Society. Objects that are subject to the imposition of special and restricting conditions may not be accepted if the conditions are contrary to the interests of the American Irish Historical Society.
All gifts should be unrestricted, with no commitment made to the donor to retain them in perpetuity or to exhibit them unless agreed upon by the American Irish Historical Society and the donor. Conditions regarding exhibiting objects should be avoided except under the most unusual circumstances. If such conditions are accepted, these conditions should apply only to a limited, specified period of time.
The American Irish Historical Society will not accept collections donated with the condition that the entire collection be accessioned. The American Irish Historical Society has the right to choose, within a proposed donation, which objects they wish to keep. For manuscript and archival collections, the standard practice of accepting an entire collection and selecting materials for disposal as the collection is processed will be followed.
The American Irish Historical Society will not accept materials that are restricted from public access in perpetuity.
D. Acquisition Terms and Restrictions
The American Irish Historical Society will not pay for a monetary appraisal of the proposed gift for a donor, nor recommend an appraiser. A board member, employee, or any consultant or volunteer employed by or associated with the American Irish Historical Society may not appraise a potential gift for a donor.
Objects that are intended to be sold will not be accepted and formally accessioned.
No person who is a staff member, board member, or volunteer, or who is involved in the policy or management of the American Irish Historical Society, may compete with the American Irish Historical Society for objects or may take advantage of privileged information which has been received. Should a conflict of interest develop between the needs of the individual and the American Irish Historical Society, the needs of the American Irish Historical Society will prevail. This should be addressed in the American Irish Historical Society’s Code of Ethics.
Donated gifts (most commonly from members of AIHS) are accepted only after review from the Lead Archivist. Not only should they align with the mission of the organization and its collections, but it should be first determined that they can be given proper space and care. Bequests are accepted only after review from the Lead Archivist. Not only should they align with the mission of the organization and its collections, but it should be first determined that they can be given proper space and care. For bequests, this review should ideally come prior to the passing of the deceased, most often through conversations with a relative. If this is not possible, the Lead Archivist should coordinate with representatives to ensure their wishes are respected and accommodated, to the best of our ability. Exchange of objects with other institutions must still align with the mission of our organization. These exchanges should be carefully reviewed by both the Lead Archivist and the governing board before any exchange is to occur. There should be a clear examination of value and a fair trade should be prioritized, not only for monetary value but for the fit with the archival collection. If objects are determined to not fit with the organization's mission, take up space that could be better utilized, and/or are in the process of digitization, they may be transferred to other institutions. Prior to transfer, the Lead Archivist should conduct research to verify that the best-suited organization is chosen to acquire these materials. The care and keeping of these objects should remain our top priority. If funds are available to purchase an item to be brought into the archives, this item must first be proven to be of great intellectual and cultural value to AIHS.
A gift may be acknowledged in records through object labels and digital metadata. If the gift is prominently displayed, donors may pay for specialty acknowledgements such as plaques, if AIHS has the space and ability to display them.
E. Documentation of Acquisitions and Accessions
The complete procedure of acquiring and accessioning any object will be recorded. All documents relating to the object, including the signed Deed of Gift, will be deposited in the relevant collection files.
All acquisitions are documented through the acquisition form, signed by both the donor and the Lead Archivist. Each item is given a special tag in our database, to show that it is in a review state and requires further implementation into the collection. Once fully accessed, the item will be given proper codes to fit its collection.
Accession procedures are documented within the Collections Management Policy of the American Irish Historical Society.
Access
A. Access Policy
The American Irish Historical Society recognizes its responsibility to make its collection accessible to the public for education, research, exhibition, conservation, publication, and reproduction. The imperative to provide access must be balanced with the American Irish Historical Society’s responsibility to preserve and safeguard its objects. Policies governing access to the collection include the physical collection materials as well as reproductions of the collection and collection documentation. Laws regarding privacy and freedom of information will be observed where applicable.
Collections access should be requested by contacting the Lead Archivist directly. This access will be approved by the Lead Archivist if determined that the researcher is capable of proper handling, clear in their need for hands-on use of the materials, and informed on our standards and policies.
Researchers may request access for educational or personal use, but should inform the Lead Archivist of their intentions and any possible publications that may result from this work. They may only research objects that are not subject to any personal liabilities and are in a stable condition to be handled. If objects are deemed too fragile or potentially hazardous, they cannot be accessed. However, these materials may be photographed to provide access, if possible.
Researchers are monitored by archival staff and security cameras. They cannot remove objects from the building, and they should only research in dedicated archival spaces. They must first read and verify the handling procedures prior to accessing the collections.
Access to collections documentation is restricted to AIHS archival staff if it contains insurance values, private contact information, or other confidential information.
Photography is permitted of displayed materials and researched collections. No flash photography is permitted. If collections are not on display, photographs should not be published without express permission from the AIHS archival staff.
Commercial photography or videography of the collections is prohibited without securing permission from the Lead Archivist, Curator, and Archival Subcommittee.
Only those directly involved in archival work are permitted access to secure collections storage areas. These include the Lead Archivist, the Curator, archival research interns, and cataloguing or digitization volunteers. Those in the latter two categories should be supervised and inform the Lead Archivist of their availability so as to be set to a clear schedule.
B. Terms and Conditions
Members of the public may request to examine or study collection items. Appointments must be made in advance and will take place during normal business hours.
Collections are accessible contingent upon staff availability and consistent with accepted security and preservation practices. The American Irish Historical Society reserves the right to refuse access to certain objects in the collection. The American Irish Historical Society may also limit the number of researchers using particular collections at one time.
Users must comply with the American Irish Historical Society’s procedures regarding examination and handling of objects, personal photography, and the use or dissemination of collection information. Requests to reproduce visual images (photography and video) of the collections must be made in advance and are subject to American Irish Historical Society's publication guidelines and fee schedule. All image use must be credited as required and a gratis copy of any resulting work must be provided to the American Irish Historical Society upon publication. To protect the confidentiality of donors and the security of the collection, access to certain information in the object files may be restricted (e.g., donor contact and other personal information will not be provided). The American Irish Historical Society reserves the right to deny access to other types of information contained in its collection records, such as insurance and appraisal values, but in all cases legal guidelines regarding privacy and freedom of information will be observed, as applicable.