Introduction
The Sangamon Valley Collection (SVC), located on the third floor of Lincoln Library, provides in-depth resources for the study of Springfield, Illinois; Sangamon County; and the ten adjacent counties. The collection, established in 1970, contains materials from the past and present. The Sangamon Valley Collection is a non-circulating collection.
Purpose
The purpose of the collection is to provide in-depth resources for the study of the social, economic, cultural, and political life of Springfield, Sangamon County, and the ten counties adjacent to Sangamon County.
Nature of the collection
Primary areas of focus
City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and Mason, Macon, Menard, Cass, Christian, DeWitt, Logan, Macoupin, Montgomery, and Morgan Counties. To support this collection and extend its usefulness, SVC also collects secondary materials on the history of Central Illinois and on genealogy from those states that contributed settlers to this area i.e. Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia. The collection includes materials spanning the timeframe from pre-statehood to the present.
The collection includes:
- Photographs
- City and county directories
- High school yearbooks
- City and county government documents and records
- Long-range planning reports and surveys
- Local Family Histories
- Local Histories
- Maps
- Periodicals
- Books
- Correspondence
- Diaries and personal papers
- Organizational and business documents
- Ephemera - Handbills, menus, programs, brochures, bulletins, posters
- Recordings
- Subject vertical files
A platform for patrons to submit born-digital photographs to the collection. We are trying to be proactive in collecting information that people in the future will want to know about Springfield. We want to make it easy for people to share their images with us. We also want to encourage people to go out and document the community.
Professional literature
SVC purchases books related to collecting, caring for, making accessible, and promoting local history and genealogy for the use of the SVC staff.
Maintains Genealogy and Local History links to relevant resources such as digitized local newspapers, indexes, and publications. Instructional genealogy information is not included.
Indexes and Pathfinders
Resources that give access to the collection, such as the Vertical File Index and microfilm list and compiled information such as the Directory of Springfield City Officials.
Databases
SVC makes recommendations about local history and genealogy databases the library should subscribe to, based on relevance to collection and usefulness to patrons.
SVC Circulating Collection
SVC purchases books by Springfield and Sangamon Valley authors and books set in the area for the circulating collection.
Acquisitions
The Sangamon Valley Collection acquires materials through purchase and donation.
The SVC collects materials on appropriate topics, regardless of viewpoint.
Materials donated to or otherwise acquired by the SVC remain the permanent property of the library. Original family documents are not returned to descendants of that family, although the SVC cooperates in producing duplicates of such materials as needed.
Limitations on the Addition of Materials
- SVC does not collect Lincoln memorabilia, nor extensively on Lincoln’s presidential years.
- SVC does not collect genealogy how-to books.
- SVC will not accept three-dimensional artifacts unless they can be properly housed and are deemed appropriate to the collection by the manager.
In selecting materials for purchase or accepting donations, the library shall be cognizant of the space limitations inherent in SVC, the potential usefulness of the item, and the suitability of the material in SVC as opposed to other area collections.
Acceptance of additions to the permanent collections shall be made on the following conditions:
- Consistency with SVC’s mission and scope
- Authority, authenticity, and reliability
- Educational, interpretive, and/or exhibit value
- Adequacy of documentation
- Ability for the SVC to properly care for and use the acquisition
- Space
- Price
The SVC’s justification for not accepting gifts may include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:
- Outside the collection’s scope
- Deteriorated or lacking physical integrity (efforts would be made to reformat to save information)
- Cannot be preserved by SVC
- Inauthentic
- Duplicate (SVC usually keeps up to two copies of an item)
- Irrelevant
- Of doubtful future use to the library
Deed of Gift
In order to establish the transfer of ownership, the Library requests that a deed of gift be completed by the donor/representative and the Sangamon Valley Collection manager. The deed of gift documents the donation of property and the transfer of copyright (if applicable) to the Library, and is signed by the donor. It also includes a complete description of the donated item and information regarding past ownership of that item. The deed of gift also establishes conditions (if any) governing the transfer of the title from the donor to the Library. Once the deed of gift is signed by the donor, the donated item becomes the property of the Library. Loans for exhibits may be asked for from time to time, but no permanent material loans will be accepted by the Sangamon Valley Collection.
The Library will only accept material with access-limiting restrictions when the restrictions are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the donor. Any restrictions will be recorded on the deed of gift, and will be adhered to by the Library. All restrictions will specify a date when full access will be granted.
Selection Authority
Authority for the selection of materials rests with the manager of the Sangamon Valley Collection, who consults with the department staff and the Library director as appropriate.
Material Processing
The SVC cannot and will not make promises regarding the processing, exhibition, digitization, publication or other use of donated materials.
Reappraisal and Deaccessioning of Materials
Reappraisal of materials in the SVC is conducted primarily on the basis of the relevance of materials to the policy. The manager of the Sangamon Valley Collection makes final decisions over material to be deaccessioned.
Monetary Appraisals
The library will not provide an appraisal of materials.
Approved by Lincoln Library Board February 26, 2025