Whose University? Whose Archives? Reimagining Collection Development Through User Participation

Abstract

University archives have traditionally centered administrative and faculty records, often excluding students and local communities. User-centered participatory collection development shifts authority to these constituencies, allowing them to help determine what is collected, how it is interpreted, and whose voices are represented. This paper examines initiatives at Cal Poly Pomona, Rutgers SC/UA, and Georgia College & State University, highlighting differences between student- and community-focused approaches. Student engagement builds archival literacy and identity validation, while community collaboration emphasizes cultural preservation, social justice, and trust. Challenges—including access, copyright, limited resources, institutional resistance, and community reluctance—remain underexplored. Participatory collection development offers a framework for inclusive, meaningful archives, and this study calls for research addressing practical and ethical barriers to sustaining user-centered engagement.