A: Yes. You will need to submit your contact information on the Google Form but we will not include your name in any public documents or make it available to researchers. If you have additional concerns about content you'd like redacted or removed, please contact us at archvies@xula.edu and we'll work with you.
A: Your materials will first be reviewed by the Archives and Special Collections staff to make sure that it's original content and that it falls within the scope of our project. If it's approved, it'll be uploaded to our Omeka site and made available to the public. After we have finished collecting materials, a Finding Aid for the project will be created and placed online. Additionally, any physical items will be accessible via our Archives and Special Collections.
A: Now that campus has reopened (August 17, 2020), we are able to accept physical items. These items will be subject to the same review process as digital items and you will need to fill out a Deed of Gift in order to donate. The Archives and Special Collections is located on the third floor of the Library and is open by appointment only. To set up an appointment to donate materials, please contact us at archives@xula.edu.
The Omeka site will also feature physical items; digitization of physical items will be done on a case-by-case basis.
A: We would love for you to make your students aware of this project, but all donations made to the Archives and Special Collections must be voluntary. You cannot require students to submit materials in order to receive course credit or extra credit. You can encourage them to donate, but you cannot make donations compulsory.
A: You need yo be at least 18 to donate materials to the project. You also cannot submit materials that you did not create, you so won't be able to submit on behalf of someone else.
A: While the Documenting COVID-19 project is specifically focused on the experiences of the Xavier University of Louisiana community, there are similar initiatives being hosted by other institutions. If you're in New Orleans, both the Amistad Research Center and the Historic New Orleans Collection are collecting materials related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you aren't in the city, check to see if your local museums or cultural heritage institutions are accepting donations!