Personal Archives in the Library of the University of Botswana

University of Botswana (UB) Library Policy on Collection Development The 1998 University of Botswana Collection Development Policy compiled by J.O. Asamani, the then Acquisitions Coordinator, is explicit on materials generated through purchase. It is also clear on acceptance of gifts and donations. The policy was not specific on the collection of private archives even though it did not sanction the function. The whole process of collection development has since been narrowly confined to published collections and papers that are either published in journals or those that have been presented at workshops and conferences. It is the view of the present paper that for the sake of the interested user it is important for the collection development policy to stretch beyond published material. Brief History of UB Library The University of Botswana library has been in existence since 1971. The UB Library system consists of the main library on the Gaborone Campus and three branch libraries. These are the Faculty of Engineering and Technology located in Gaborone; the Centre of Continuing Education (CCE, North) located in Francistown, in the Northern part of Botswana and the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre (HOORC), located in Maun, Ngamiland (North-western Botswana). The paper will focus on the Main Library and HOORC Library. The current UB main Library building was occupied in 2001 as an extension of an old building which was occupied in 1986. The old building comprised of a Ground floor which housed Technical Services, Automation, Circulation and Management offices; First floor which housed Education and Social Science collections and Second floor on which there were the Humanities and Science faculty collections, Periodicals and Botswana Collection. The current building has the following floors representing units and service points: Ground floor with Customer Services, Reference collection and Fiction Collection; the Upper Ground Floor which houses the Science faculty collections; First floor with Social Sciences and Business faculties' collections; Law Collection in a separate wing of the same floor; the Mezzanine floor which houses current periodicals; Second Floor for the Humanities faculty collection; Third floor for the Education Faculty collection; then, the Lower Ground for Botswana Documentation and Special Collections, and Archives unit. UB Main Library Archival Unit and its archives This paper will examine all the archives currently available at both the University of Botswana Main Library and HOORC's Library showing how they were acquired. The unit was established in January 2005. The UB Library archives are the official repository for institutional records of University of Botswana. The purpose of establishing the unit was for it to acquire and preserve archives related to the university, its faculties, staff, students and alumni, and to make them accessible to researchers. UBL Archives Policy The policy limits collection activities of the University of Botswana archives to the records created or received by the University of Botswana and its constituent parts in the course of business. It further states that material will be acquired on the basis of an assessment of its legal, administrative and historical significance, regardless of form or medium. Materials may be transferred internally, donated or purchased. * UB photographs and images from 1970-2007 This comprises a collection of photos and multimedia showing academic and social life at the University of Botswana. * UB Historical Collections c.1976-2007 This collection consists of published university documents that are available to the public. Others are non-official institutional records, grey literature and ephemera relating to UB, UBBS, UBS, etc. The collection contains University calendars; University newsletters, speeches and addresses; student focused handbooks, etc. …