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Digital Submissions

Making a Donation

The Institutional Archive welcomes contributions that help document STScI’s history and missions. Current and former STScI staff, NASA and AURA affiliates, and external users wishing to submit digital materials must create a Recollect member account and follow the instructions below. For physical item donations, please reach out to Archive staff at institute_archive@stsci.edu for assistance. Thank you!

 

What We Collect

We generally collect materials that reflect the intellectual, cultural, administrative, and social life of STScI from its conceptualization (1972) to present day. Some examples include event photographs, annual reports, newsletters, instrument manuals/handbooks, scientific reports, and contract deliverables. We do not collect any restricted documentation, personnel files or budgeting documents, individual researcher notes, software, or published journal articles.

For a more detailed list of our collecting priorities, see our Scope of Collection here.

 

Submission Process and Instructions

To submit materials, click on the Upload portal and select the upload button for the material format you wish to submit. Then fill out the submission form to the best of your ability. You may upload items one at a time or in batches of related items (e.g. multiple photos from a single event). The form fields apply to all the items in a submission. Use these guidelines for each field:

  • Title: This should be a unique, descriptive title for the submission
  • Creator Name(s): List the first and last names of the individual(s) who created the items. If you created the items, put your own name.
  • Creation Date: List the date the items were created, if known. A general date such as a year or year and month is fine.
  • Associated Locations: List the locations depicted in the items or associated with their creation/context, if applicable. Be as specific as possible. Some items might not have an associated location.
  • Associated People: List individuals depicted in, described by, or affiliated with the items. If there are many people, use the associated group field if possible.
  • Associated Groups: List any groups depicted in, described by, or affiliated with the items. This may include organizations, divisions, branches, teams, social/affinity groups, etc. Please include a full group name in addition to acronyms.
  • Associated Missions/Instruments: List any STScI missions and instruments depicted in, described by, or affiliated with the items.
  • Brief Description: Include a short summary of what the items are or are describing/showing.
  • Significance: This field provides extra space to tell us why the items are significant to you, STScI history, and/or the astronomy community.

 

Once finished, confirm that you have read and understand the terms and conditions, then click the Finished! Submit button. Archive staff will then review your submission to make sure it fits within our collecting scope. We will either accept the submission and accession the materials into our collection, reject the submission, or send it back to you for edits if there are any errors or questions. You will receive an email notification when the status updates. Once accepted, we will add the materials into our processing workflow. 

 

Digital Submissions Terms and Conditions

By donating your digital files to us through Recollect, you agree that:

  • You are the sole owner and/or author of the materials described in the donation. 
  • You convey, transfer, assign, and deliver any and all rights, title, copyrights, trademarks, and interests with all literary rights which you possess to the Space Telescope Science Institute, an operating center of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.
  • You have good and clear title to said materials and agree to indemnify and hold the Institute harmless for any and all expenses, costs, losses claim, suit, or action arising out of any alleged defect in title or any alleged infringement.
  • All material accepted by the Institute becomes the property of the Institute upon receipt. This submission is made without restriction and includes the right to copy, digitize, display, preserve, retain, or dispose of the property involved, either now or in the future. If there are any donor-imposed restrictions, you will contact the Institutional Archive prior to submission.
  • The Institute shall provide a suitable repository for accepted material and shall maintain and preserve the accepted material in accordance with standard archival practices.
  • The Institute shall make the materials available to qualified researchers, subject to the Institute’s standard practices with the copyright laws of the U.S.A.
  • The Institute shall dispose of any materials as deemed appropriate by the Institute, including those which cannot be properly housed by the archive.