COVID-19 Pandemic Special Collections Research Center

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The Syracuse University Archives seeks to record and preserve the personal responses of our students, faculty, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. While official responses to this unprecedented event are being collected, we would also like to include personal experiences and reactions in our collections. Help us gather this important information by participating in this project. To donate physical materials, email Meg Mason, University Archivist, mamaso02@syr.edu.

Guidelines for Documenting and Donating Digital Content

  • The University Archives will accept journal and diary entries, emails, photographs, videos, audio recordings, social media posts, and other digital documentation.
  • Materials should document:
    • remote learning and work;
    • displacement from student housing in spring 2020;
    • returning to learning and/or working on campus in fall 2020 and spring 2021;
    • experience of social distancing, wearing masks, quarantine, testing and receiving vaccinations;
    • and/or the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the donor.
  • All perspectives regarding the COVID-19 pandemic experience are welcome, however, wantonly inaccurate and/or blatantly false materials and information may not be eligible for inclusion. The University Archives reserves the right to not accept or retain all donations.
  • The University Archives is currently only accepting donations from Syracuse University students, faculty, and staff.
  • You must be the sole creator of the content you are donating.
  • Note that unless otherwise discussed with University Archives staff, any materials documenting your personal experience will be made available for research at the time this collection is processed.
  • Deposited materials created in the course of official University business may be subject to University Archives restrictions and will be handled accordingly.
  • Anyone who appears in an audio or video recording, including the donor, must sign an oral history release form for any oral histories donated. The Archives will contact you to complete the appropriate paperwork. If the University Archives does not receive releases from you and all other participants, the materials cannot be preserved.
  • We advise you to save and submit your personal social media posts as screen grabs (JPEGs). These captures can be created on your mobile device (tablet or smartphone) or computer. This recommendation is based on considerations of the privacy of donors’ personal data that may be included in any downloads of your social media archive from the platforms themselves (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and the rapid response nature of this collecting period.
  • Please do not donate medical records or official student records (such as completed class assignments).

Donate digital materials about your COVID-19 experience via this Qualtrics form.