What is Special Collections and Archives?

Connecting the world with the history of Northern Arizona

In support of the University and Cline Library’s missions, Special Collections and Archives connects and engages the world with the history and culture of the Colorado Plateau and Northern Arizona University.

SCA mission

To achieve our mission, SCA:

• Seeks opportunities to collect, manage, and preserve material supporting our collecting scope
• Facilitates discovery through innovative, transparent, and democratic onsite and online access to our holdings
• Encourages active learning and teaching opportunities for the university community and beyond
• Provides experiential learning opportunities through directed internships
• Seeks opportunities to provide engaging public programming and exhibits to share and interpret the history and culture of the region
• Seeks mutually beneficial partnerships to advance our goals and strengthen our relationships with our constituency

SCA vision

SCA will inspire the creation of new knowledge, interpretation, and scholarship of the human and natural history of the Colorado Plateau.

SCA values

• Stewardship: We will engage in the preservation of the intellectual record; we will manage fiscal resources effectively, efficiently and responsibly we will support the principle of intellectual property protection will care for our collection in an environmentally sustainable and ethically responsible manner.
• Innovation: We will proactively develop creative, practical, and flexible strategies to meet the challenges of preserving and providing access to cultural heritage collections.
• Transparency: We will provide access to holdings, policies, and information.
• Open Access: We will support open access to the rich resources and collections so they may be discovered, used, and disseminated to the broadest possible audience.
• Leadership: We will endeavor to be forward thinking in our professional practices in support of the department, library, and university’s mission and vision.
• Diversity: We will encourage inclusiveness and understanding in our collecting practices, work, and community building.
• Education: We will educate students, faculty, staff, and the community of the significance of primary source material and seek opportunities to integrate our holdings in the university’s curriculum.
• Collaboration: We seek and encourage partnerships on campus and with the broader community to support student success, research, and common goals.