Donations

The Archives accepts two types of donations: collection donations and financial donations.

Donations to the Archives collections can include any item(s) of permanent value to the study of the human history of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta. The Archives collects items based on their information content. Items such as manuscripts, photographs, maps and drawings, books, graphic and print items, films, recordings, and (computer-generated) information in digital format are all collected by the Archives.

The process is summarized as follows:

1. The prospective donation is received by the Archivist, and a preliminary inventory is completed on an 'accession form'. The donor's name, address and telephone number is recorded. Also recorded is any information that the donor has about the donation: who created and used it, what it was used for, when it was created, where it was created, why it was created. The "five Ws" provide information about the donation that complements the information contained in the donation.
   
   
2. The donation is submitted to the Acquisitions Committee of the Galt Archives. The committee's job is to determine if the donation meets the criteria for inclusion in the Archives' collections.
   
   
3. If the donation is accepted by the Acquisitions Committee, a 'Certificate of Gift' is prepared for the donor's signature. The 'Certificate of Gift' is a legal document that transfers ownership of the donation from the donor to the Archives, and spells out any special conditions surrounding the donation. The donor reads and signs the 'Certificate of Gift', returns a copy to the Archives, and the donation process is complete.
   
   
4. If the donation is not accepted by the Acquisitions Committee, the donation is returned to the donor with our thanks for considering the Galt Archives. If the donation might be of value to another archives, the donor is advised about where else he or she might offer the donation.

Financial donations can be made to assist in the work of the Archives by allowing the purchase of needed equipment and supplies, or the hiring of temporary staff to complete specific projects. All financial donations go directly to support the work of the Archives.