LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert

Acquisition Policy

The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert shall collect artifacts, photographs, and archival materials that depict the history and development of the LGBTQ+ community in and around the Palm Springs area, its people, businesses, and events. In general, The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert shall restrict its collecting to those artifacts of cultural, historical, or personal significance which can be either.

  • Contribute to the documentation or interpretation of the LGBTQ+ history of Palm Springs and the surrounding area, its residents, or
  • Be used for research, exhibition, or educational purposes as they relate to the objectives of The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert.

Only those artifacts and other materials that relate to and are consistent with the purposes of the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert shall be considered for accessioning. Even if appropriate to The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert’s purposes, some objects may not be desirable acquisitions because of their duplication with existing collections, because of their physical condition, because of the expense and space necessary to acquire, conserve, store, and preserve them, and because of other factors that may constrain The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert’s ability to store and preserve objects for posterity.

Materials presented to The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert’s collections should meet the following conditions:

The artifact is relevant to and consistent with the purposes and activities of The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert.

The artifact is connected to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley areas in one of these ways:

  • It has a direct and important connection to the LGBTQ+ history of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
  • The provenance of the artifact is known and, if possible, documented.
  • The physical condition of the artifact is of sufficient quality to warrant its use by and for instructional or scholarly purposes.

The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert may accept material outside established criteria when deemed appropriate by the archivists. When items inappropriate to The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert’s collection are obtained with accepted collections, The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert will attempt to find an appropriate repository.

Adopted September 2019

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