Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact the Appraisal, Acquisition, Legislative Compliance and Access Unit to start the process. Do not drop off records at the Archives unless you have been requested to do so by an Appraisal Archivist.

The PAS decides whether to accept or decline an archival record offer from private donors based on criteria set out in our Acquisition Policy and Selection Criteria. We are further guided by an Appraisal Committee comprised of representatives from all areas of the Archives.

All new donation offers to the PAS are reviewed by an Appraisal Archivist who makes the initial assessment and asks questions about the material to determine if it has archival significance specific to Saskatchewan and to the our collection.

If the material meets these basic requirements, consideration of the donation will be put on the agenda for our next Appraisal Committee meeting where it will be the subject to a fuller assessment and a recommendation will be made to the Provincial Archivist.

Offers that meet our criteria will be reviewed at our next Appraisal Committee meeting which is scheduled monthly. Sometimes we need more information from you, or we must conduct additional research. This can take several weeks to complete. The Appraisal Archivist will keep you updated throughout this process.

• Records that relate to the history of Saskatchewan and its people
• Records documenting individuals, organizations and associations, acquired in their entirety from the individual or organization itself when possible.
• Records that can be made widely available to the public, with few or no access restrictions including privacy, copyright, etc.
• Inactive records only (no longer in operational use by the record creator, even for routine reference purposes.)
• Records in their original format, wherever possible.

Offers are declined when the records do not fit with our collection mandate. We usually respectfully decline offers of records that are well-represented in our collection, records without a known history, records that lack adequate identification, records in obsolete or unreadable formats, records without a connection to Saskatchewan, records that are published or can be found in other archives, and records in poor physical condition. Storage space is limited, as are resources to care for and monitor archival material.

PAS rarely acquires material that has little known history and context. Although a record is old, it may not be archival.

The PAS does not typically acquire items that are published and available online or in other repositories.

The PAS rarely accepts secondary sources unless they are part of a larger family fonds.  We encourage you to offer this material to a local library or genealogical organization. 

Except in exceptional circumstances, the PAS typically does not acquire artefacts. We do not have the appropriate storage or display areas. We would encourage you to contact a local museum or historical society, whichever best reflects the items.

The PAS rarely accepts records with no significant link to Saskatchewan’s history. If a record is not related to Saskatchewan, we recommend finding an archives or local history organization closer to where it relates.

We ask that you do not bring any records to the PAS unless expressly requested by Archives staff. Please contact the Appraisal, Acquisition, Legislative Compliance and Access unit through the online submission form, email or phone to offer a donation.

No, any records dropped off without contact information included are considered abandoned property and disposed of. We will not accept abandoned property into our collection as we do not know its history and we are unable to complete a transfer of ownership agreement.

The PAS does not have the budget to purchase archival records. All records are obtained through donation.

The PAS does not accept loans of records from members of the public.

No, legal ownership of material is transferred to the PAS when you donate material.

Yes, tax receipts may be issued by the PAS for archival material that is accepted into our collection. Independent appraisers are required for all gifts in kind that require a tax receipt. All monetary appraisal costs are the responsibility of the donor. The PAS does not arrange or perform monetary appraisals for tax purposes; however, we will assist donors in navigating the appraisal process, if necessary.

Information about the National Archival Appraisal Board (NAAB) and qualified appraisers can be found at https://naab59175.wildapricot.org.

The PAS accepts records for our collection with the goal of keeping them for the foreseeable future. However, there are situations that arise which may cause us to remove material from our collection. If an item has degraded past our ability to care for it, if we discover it is hazardous to staff or other records (if it contains mould, for example), or for a multitude of other reasons, the Archives may remove it from our collection. This is called deaccessioning and is a regular part of an archive’s collections activities.

The PAS may consult with Indigenous organizations, Elders and Knowledge Keepers when considering Indigenous material for acquisition. We do not collect sacred objects or records documenting or describing sacred ceremonies. The PAS will not collect records where there is evidence of cultural appropriation unless Indigenous peoples wish for these items to be retained for their historical value as examples of cultural appropriation. For non-Indigenous material, the PAS will consult with community representatives when appropriate before making any decisions on accepting an item.

PAS is the official repository of those public records that are judged by the Archives to have permanent archival value. These records are acquired from the government institutions that create them.