Rule 16-2-1.2 - Selection Criteria Acquired materials should document an aspect of Mississippi history or culture, be useful to researchers, and/or possess intrinsic value as historical artifacts.
A. In striving to assemble a comprehensive body of materials documenting all aspects of the states history, archivists and librarians consider the following questions when determining whether or not to acquire materials: 1. Does the material fill a gap in holdings or increase an area of collecting strength?2. Is the material unique or does it duplicate other MDAH holdings?3. What is the subject matter and significance?4. Is the material authentic?5. Does the material have legal value?6. What is the potential research use?7. What are the costs of housing, processing, preserving, and providing access to the material?8. Are there rights management issues or access restrictions that could prevent or severely limit access and use?9. Is there requisite staff expertise to care for and make the material accessible?10. Is the format compatible with equipment and/or software currently owned or reasonably acquired?B. The following generally are not acquired: 1. Materials that do not pertain to Mississippi, unless they relate to major national events in which Mississippi played a significant role2. Active and semi-current state records3. Municipal and county records4. Three-dimensional objects5. Original post-19th century newspapers or newspaper clippings6. Material that would necessitate extraordinary efforts to restore or make accessible7. Material with rights management and/or access issues that cannot be resolved or that would necessitate unreasonable access restrictions or denial of access8. Material of dubious or unverifiable authenticity9. Material that duplicates the holdings of other archival institutionsMiss. Code Ann. § 25-59-1 (1972, as amended).