Tips for Preserving Your Student Organization's History

• Document the activities of your group: keep minutes of meetings, save planning documents for projects and initiatives, take photographs of events
• Label your documents and folders with full names, dates, and description of events or circumstances – one day future members will read what you leave behind
• Develop a straightforward filing system
• Maintain a transition report between elections to help future officers
• Keep your records in a centralized location that key people can access - one of the hardest things about leadership transitions is making sure everyone has access to important documents.
• Make it a point to transfer ownership of organization documents to the next elected person
• Maintain a transition report between elections to help future officers
• If you have physical documents, make sure to store them away from dampness, dust, direct sunlight, and excessive heat
• Develop a routine of transferring inactive records to the University Archives at the end of the semester, year, or term of office

If you want more information about how to manage your records, please view the Amp Up Your Student Organization's Archives presentation.

Know that the Archivist for Student Life and Mudd Library are here to help you! Feel free email the Project Archivist for Student Life at vj2@princeton.edu or Mudd Library at mudd@princeton.edu if you have any questions or want a consultation.