The PSC Library is open M-W from 8am - 8pm and Th-F 8am - 4:30pm. Librarians are available to answer questions virtually through email or the "Chat Now" button at the bottom of the page.
The mission of the Prairie State College Archives is to collect, organize, preserve and make accessible the archival records of historic value to the College. The archives are not a repository of all official records of the Prairie State College.
Those records of historical value to the College are retained for institutional use only and they may be checked out to the Prairie State College administrators, faculty and staff with permission from the Associate Dean of the Library and the College Archivist. Residents of the Communities the College serves are allowed to research the records and make copies under the Fair Use policies within the Library only. Some items such as scrapbooks may not be allowed to be used outside the Archive Room because of their fragile physical condition.
The collection focuses on important historic events that had a significant impact on the growth and development of the College as a higher educational institution. The following summarizes types of materials appropriate for The Archive Collection.
The following are the examples of the types of materials that are not appropriate for The Archives.
Selection and acquisition of the archival materials will depend on their appropriateness to the collection and their physical condition. Space limitations will also be taken into account when acquiring these items. Donations and gifts are accepted only if the donated items will enhance the historical value of the Collection. Accepting or declining the donations and gifts will be at the discretion of the College Archivist.
No. Due to the physical condition and unique nature of the collection, the archival materials may only be used in the Archive Room. However, you may make photocopies of the collection with the permission of The Archivist or a Library staff.
General Public, PSC Faculty, Students and Staff may use the Archives. Please make an appointment with College Archivist Alex Altan either by phone at 708-709-3553 or 708-709-3781 or by e-mail at aaltan@prairiestate.edu to visit the Archives.
Other Departments within the College may not use archives as a storage room. Any non-archival items that have been left in the Archive Room will be removed immediately.
Materials are retained in the Archives if they are unique or if they document the history of the College or demonstrate the work and purpose of an office or organization. The Dean of the Library and the College Archivist will determine how long the archival materials need to be retained. The College Archivist will evaluate the Archive Collection periodically and determine which records need to be removed from the collection after consultation with the Dean of the Library.
The College Archivist will arrange and organize all folders and files in an easily retrievable and searchable format using modern archival methods and classification systems. The archivist will ensure the provenance and the original order, which the records are created, remains intact.
The archival records such as newspaper clips, yearbooks, annuals, scrapbooks, oral history tapes and photographs pertaining to the significant college events may be digitized. The College Archivist will determine whether or not to digitize the items that are deteriorated beyond repair and preservation. Digitizing the entire archive collection may not be feasible due to the lack of proper funding or budgetary constraints.
