Effective Date January 2025
Last Revision Date January 2025
Policy Purpose and Scope
At the NYU Division of Libraries, we recognize the importance of collecting materials from diverse historical, cultural, and scientific perspectives. Inherent in collecting these materials is the fact that some content may either document harm or cause harm, including secondary trauma. We also recognize how our own library practices, in the ways we choose to describe, preserve, and provide access to materials, can mitigate or prevent harm.
The purpose of this policy is to prevent or mitigate harm caused by the use of library materials. This policy applies to NYU Libraries materials used by both NYU Libraries staff and users.
Definitions
Trauma “is an emotional response to a deeply distressing event or series of events.”
Secondary or vicarious trauma is a type of harm defined as “trauma experienced by those who, while they are not present at a traumatic event, are exposed to traumatic material or otherwise exposed by working with survivors of trauma.”
A trauma-informed approach uses safety, trust and transparency, choice, collaboration, and empowerment “to reduce the likelihood of stressful interactions and retraumatization.”
Definitions from Wright, K. & Laurent, N. (2021) “Safety, Collaboration, and Empowerment: Trauma-Informed Archival Practice,” Archivaria, (91), 38-73.
Responsible Parties
Associate Dean, Collections and Content Strategy: General, distinctive collections Director, NYU Special Collections: All Special Collections repository holdings Director, Human Resources: Division of Libraries employees
Policy Statement
To fulfill NYU Libraries’ mission of acquiring diverse and unique collections, we will inevitably collect materials that document harmful events and the viewpoints of harmed peoples. As with many research libraries, we also collect material that may be considered or experienced as harmful. We recognize the importance of protecting our users and staff from unintentional harm. We do not censor or remove materials from our collection solely because they may be deemed harmful. Instead, we take a trauma-informed approach to our stewardship of all content. This policy creates transparency for our practices while defining our roles and responsibilities around harmful content.
We center accountability for managing potentially harmful content in collections and curation work. Managers and supervisors have a responsibility to discuss the content of the materials with their staff. Lastly, all Libraries staff have a responsibility to pursue learning opportunities that expand their knowledge of culturally competent practices.
We have additional responsibilities and protocols to mitigate harm throughout the collections lifecycle, including acquisitions, description and preservation, and access.
Acquisitions
Libraries staff who acquire non-licensed primary source and archival materials hold the primary responsibility to be aware of the content they are bringing into our collections. They are also responsible for being knowledgeable about, and researching, the cultural protocols around different materials and topics.
Subject selectors, curators, and collection development staff are responsible for:
- The initial review of materials
- Discussing with donors and sellers, when relevant, what content is present
- Formally reporting any content identified as potentially harmful
Description and Preservation
Through the process of preparing library materials for use, we seek to uncover content that may be harmful, and clearly describe this content for access by users and future staff.
Processing and preservation staff will:
- Approach description and preservation practices with a critical lens
- Have procedures in place to communicate with supervisors and users about content
- Take an open-minded and flexible approach to applying professional standards when managing different types of content
Access
When providing access to materials, we carry forward responsibilities from acquisitions, description, and preservation to ensure that we create an environment of mutual respect for both staff and users.
We provide access to Special Collections materials that are open to research, regardless of the content. In doing so, we have duties to:
- Whenever possible, notify users through content warnings, in both our systems and personal interactions, of the presence of material that is potentially harmful
- Provide spaces for users to access this material, in accordance with preservation practices and in alignment with other Special Collections policies
Users have the right to:
- Disclose, or not disclose, their relationship to potentially harmful materials in collections.
- Request a space away from materials that may cause harm, or bring a support person to be present when they access these materials.
- Report content and request an evaluation for a content warning or enhanced description.
FAQ
The title of a course in this bulletin is offensive. Will it be removed?
This does not apply to course content, exhibitions, or material in other areas of the University.
This item in the collection is offensive. Can it be removed?
We don’t censor collection materials but strive to provide notice of the presence of harmful content.