The bulk of the papers of the "State System of Higher Education Libraries Council," also referred to as SSHELCO, were probably transferred to the Clarion University Archives circa 2000-2004. However, no accession record exists for the collection to pinpoint the exact time of acquisition. These materials were found in the unprocessed archives collection during the spring 2009 semester. At that time, the Dean of Libraries, Dr. Terry Latour, coordinated with other SSHELCO members to determine if, indeed, it was the group's desire to designate the Clarion University Archives as the location for the records. SSHELCO members researched the matter, and found a note in the November 2004 SSHELCO minutes indicating that Clarion had been serving as the unofficial archives for the organization. The topic was discussed and the group expressed a desire to have Clarion continue to maintain the archives of the organization. The collection currently totals 6.5 cubic feet, and is expected to grow as regular transfers are deposited in the Archives. At the time of the initial transfer (circa 2000-2004), no official agreement (deed of gift or deposit agreement) was negotiated. During the spring, summer and fall of 2009, SSHELCO negotiated an official deposit agreement with the Clarion University Archives, which was signed on October 13, 2009 by Dr. Phillip Tramdack (SSHELCO Representative), Dr. Terry Latour (Dean of Clarion University Libraries), and Corene Glotfelty (archivist).
The major terms of this deposit include:
1. The depositor (SSHELCO) retains legal ownership of the deposited physical items / records and their copyright during the period of the deposit. If the organization should dissolve and cease to be active, the title and copyright to the materials will, at that time, be automatically transferred to Clarion University of Pennsylvania. This Deposit Agreement then becomes a Deed of Gift.
2. The depositor (a member of the depositing organization) may temporarily or permanently remove items / records deposited in the Archives through written request.
3. The deposited items / records will be available to the public in the Archives as no cost after they are organized, physically stabilized, and prepared for use. The archivist reserves the right to refuse public access to items / records that have not been processed, that are fragile, or that need repair.
4. Materials from the SSHELCO collection cannot be checked out of the Archives by general researchers, and must be used on-site. (However, current SSHELCO members may borrow materials as needed.) Researchers, members of the public, or past members of the depositing organization may request copies of documents or scans of documents for research and study purposes, subject to the Archives' duplication policy.
The bulk of the collection consists of documentation and supporting materials for individual SSHELCO meetings. The suggested citation to the collection is: "State System of Higher Education Libraries Council (SSHELCO) Records, Clarion University Archives, Carlson Library, Clarion University of Pennsylvania."
