Hoboken Public Library
History Collection-Development Policy
Statement of Purpose of the Institution and its Collections
The purpose of the Hoboken Public Library Historical Collection is to collect, preserve, and make available to the public historical materials pertaining to the history of Hoboken and its community. Materials include both published and unpublished items with relevance to Hoboken’s rich history and the people who have called this city home throughout its existence. Archival material documenting individuals, institutions, and organizations will be proactively and selectively collected and will include primarily printed matter, photographs, and now born digital materials. Appraisal considerations regarding archival acquisitions will be made contingent upon ability to house the material in terms of accessibility, conservation, and preservation protocols, as well as other factors in accord with the overall Mission Statement, including whether or not the material falls within the collecting scope of the collection.
Collecting Scope
The Hoboken Public Library Historical Collection maintains various items, including a historic photograph collection, vertical files on various subjects (all digitized), microfilm and digitized newspapers, historic books about Hoboken and the surrounding area; government materials from various levels of administration (federal, state, and municipal), reports on various municipal projects, city directories, and video and audio, including an oral history program done in conjunction with the Hoboken Historical Museum. A subset of the main collection is the separate Sinatra Collection, which maintains materials, audio recordings, and photographs of Frank Sinatra, Hoboken’s best-known figure. Another collection maintained is an audio collection consisting of local musical artists other than Sinatra, most notably Yo La Tengo and The Bongos, as well as other musical acts who recorded at Hoboken’s Bar/None Records.
Gifts Policy
Hoboken Public Library accepts donations that fall within its collection scope. Appraisal considerations regarding archival acquisitions will be made contingent upon ability to house the material in terms of accessibility, conservation and preservation protocols, and other factors in accord with the overall Mission Statement. Please take this into consideration when donating to us – our space is limited and we cannot accept donations or gifts that do not directly fall within our collecting scope. Due to limited budget and space, all donations or gifts are subject to review by the archivist/local history librarian and library director.
When a donation is accepted, a deed of gift must be signed by the donor specifying the materials to be donated. This deed of gift will be negotiated between the donor and Hoboken Public Library. Special conditions may be specified by the donor, but the library may refuse any donation in which it deems the conditions of use overly restrictive. Donors may make arrangements to examine the material they have donated and can be given a copy of any inventories, finding aids, or other research materials produced by the library about the donated material. The library will not make any assessment of the monetary value of the donation.
Guidelines Review
This collection policy will be regularly reviewed and revised as needed as technology changes and preservation and conservation techniques improve.
Approved of by the Hoboken Public Library Board of Trustees 11/24/2020