Donation Types

Permanent Donations:
Items gifted outright to the archive, where SCAHS becomes the legal custodian to preserve and share with future generations.

Loan for Digitization or Copy:
If you wish to retain your originals, we welcome high-quality copies or digital scans for our research collection. We will scan or copy records if permissions and copyright allow, and enough time is given to digitize the items properly. Items will be viewable on our website, or a digital copy of the file may be provided to the donor upon request, as permissions allow.

Access and Preservation

All accepted materials will be preserved using archival best practices. Donated items may be made available for public research, educational exhibits, and outreach programs in print or on the world wide web, our website and social media. Items will be recorded in our database and made available with permission as granted in Deed of Gift or Loan Agreement.

The location, retention, cataloging, preservation, and disposition of the donated materials by the Sevier County Archives and Heritage Services (SCAHS) will be conducted at our discretion, following SCAHS’s archival practices, according to SCAHS's Donation Guidelines and with applicable law.

Researchers, students, and the general public are welcome to explore donated resources, often by appointment, in a designated reading or research room. To preserve the integrity of the collections, materials must be handled with care, and some may have access restrictions due to fragility or privacy concerns. Items will not be allowed to be removed from the Archive location. Archives staff are available to assist with locating materials, explaining finding aids, and guiding visitors through the process. Whether you're conducting in-depth research or simply exploring local history, visiting an archive provides a tangible connection to the past.

After transfer of ownership, the staff of the repository will review the materials and may find that there is a reason to reformat some or all of those materials. For example, long-term preservation of fragile materials is a primary reason for microfilming, digitizing, creating multiple digital versions, or copying materials for use by researchers. The repository may also publicly present the digital versions on its website to the extent allowed under copyright law. Unless you note to the contrary in the gift agreement, when you transfer legal ownership of your materials to the repository, you agree that the staff may make reformatting and display decisions.

Sevier County Archives and Heritage Services reserves the right to duplicate, digitize, and make copies for the purposes of preservation, regardless of the copyright status of the item(s).

Restrictions and Conditions

Donations are assessed by the Archivist and may be declined if they do not align with our mission or the SCAHS Collection Scope, or if we are unable to provide appropriate care for them.

A Deed of Gift form or Loan Agreement is required for all accepted contributions.

We cannot accept items left at our location without donor information. It is essential for us to have your donor details to accept the items, although you have the option to remain anonymous. We want to ensure that your items are preserved and understood for future generations; without knowing their origin or context, we cannot properly share them as we legally require your permission.

We also cannot accept items under permanent loan agreements or with extensive restrictions that limit access or use; however, materials of significant research value with clearly defined, limited-duration restrictions may be considered. Please note that we do not provide monetary appraisals for tax purposes.

Thank you for your contribution to preserving Sevier County’s history for generations to come.