INTRODUCTION
The American Farm School Archives and Historical Collections came under the administration of the Dimitris and Aliki Perrotis Library in 2001. The American Farm School Archives contain precious documents relating to the foundation of the AFS and its history such as correspondence, reports, photographs and artifacts. In 2007 Nancy Birk, Professor Emerita and former Curator and University Archivist at Kent State University started a volunteer assignment of processing the existing archival collection and this includes the following activities:
In 2007 the American Farm School has been invited to participate in the European Digital Library Project that is being led in Greece by a project team from the Central Public Library of Veria. The inclusion of collections of the AFS Archives into the EUROPEANA – Europe's Digital Library – provided further incentive and mobilized the transformation of core photography collections into digital format
In order for this to be accomplished and along with the processing of existing unsorted records, simultaneous selection for preservation and digitization of 1000 core photographs from three major AFS collection for the European Digital Library Project was carried out. Those collections are Miscellaneous AFS photos, Card Postal collection as well as documents and scanned artifacts from the Girls School.
DSpace was selected to be the platform for participating institutions to enter archival material into EUROPEANA. Configuration, parametrisation and installation was outsourced and a staff training seminar took place in July 2009 which is going to permit to add metadata for each digital object using the DC schema.
PURPOSE OF DOCUMENT
COLLECTION STRUCTURE
The Archives contain the following content:
ACQUISITIONS
Acquisitions focus on the following areas:
Materials added to the Archives collections are, primarily, acquired by way of transfer by AFS departments and staff, or donations by Alumni, Friends of the School and outside users.
Proper application of the Archives collection development report goals make it inevitable that only a relevant to the American Farm School history materials will ultimately be added to the collection.
In the event that the Library accepts a donation, the following points will be made clear to the Donor:
Similarly, the Library will:
RETENTION
The American Farm School recognizes the importance of retaining its history and has sought to retain documents it has considered important. At the same time, disposing of records which have no business significance is also important in reducing the cost of maintaining file space and improving operating efficiency.
Additionally, it is important that certain documents are retained for legal purposes, aside from the historical purposes they may serve. Therefore, AFS is establishing the following document retention policy framework:
Enclosed is a list of specific types of documents and the minimum holding period for each. AFS will review this list and based on such review, may add items to the list and/or change holding periods.
Original versions of incorporation, legal and tax-related documents should be retained where possible, although in some cases only copies may be available. One of the general principles applicable to this policy is that hard copies of records may be converted to and maintained in electronic or digital form for the same retention period as the equivalent material in printed form, but electronic or digital records which originated in electronic of digital form should not be converted to and maintained in printed form. Rather, such electronic or digital records should be maintained in electronic or digital form for the same retention period as the equivalent material in printed form. Specifically, accounting records must be backed-up and kept off-site.
The President and CEO may determine that documents should be retained after the end of the specified holding period for historical and archival purposes, consistent with this policy, notwithstanding the fact that the holding period has ended. Otherwise, only the senior administrative staff will have the authority to delete, destroy or discard documents in their respective areas of responsibility.
Documents |
Holding Period |
Legal Documents |
|
Articles of Incorporation |
Permanent |
By-Laws |
Permanent |
Tax-Exempt Certificate and related correspondence |
Permanent |
Minute Books, including resolutions adopted, dockets |
Permanent |
IRS Determination Letter |
Permanent |
|
|
Financial Statements |
|
Audited Financial Statements |
Permanent |
State tax filings |
Permanent |
|
|
Financial Documents |
|
General ledgers and year-end journal entries |
Permanent |
Records of Assets received |
Permanent |
Pension Plan records |
Permanent |
Payroll journals and supporting documentation |
10 years |
Bank statements and reconciliations/ agreements |
8 years |
Cancelled checks |
8 years |
Cash receipts and disbursement journals |
8 years |
Accounts receivable and payable ledgers |
8 years |
Invoices |
8 years |
|
|
Personnel Records |
|
Name, address, social security number, date of birth, |
Permanent |
Records of Worker Injury or Illness |
10 years |
Other personnel record, including employment |
8 years after termination of |
Employment applications (not employed), resumes |
6 months (only if AFS Inc. is looking to |
|
|
Other |
|
Acknowledgements gift letters |
Permanent |
General Correspondence |
Routine materials such as those listed |
Capitalized Property and Fixed Asset records |
Permanent |
Grant files (approved grants only) |
Permanent |
Insurance Policies (after expired) |
Permanent |
Insurance claims |
8 years |
Leases (after expired) |
8 years |
Copyright permissions for use of others’ copyrighted |
Permanent |
Copyrights and Trademarks |
Permanent |
Web site pages |
Permanent |
*Note: The following materials may be discarded at the discretion of the staff:
Prior to accepting a gift collection it is necessary for the librarians to learn as much as possible about the content and size of the donation. In the event that the offered materials do not appear to be appropriate for the Library, as defined in the Library’s collection development policy, other potential recipients for the gift should be suggested to the donor.
In the event that the Library accepts a book donation, the following points will be made clear to the Donor:
Similarly, the Library will:
Library Computer Use Policy
The ‘Dimitris and Aliki Perrotis’ Central Library and the ‘George and Charlotte Draper’ Information and Media Hub (the satellite service for Perrotis College and IIEK community) support the American Farm School (AFS) and Perrotis College’s teaching, research, and study needs by providing faculty, students, staff, and external users access to desktop computers and laptops for use on the premises, thus promoting academic research and scholarship.
To this end, the Central Library and the Hub have developed the present Computer Use Policy, to ensure appropriate use of the aforementioned equipment.
Computer, Laptop and Internet Acceptable Use Policy
Access and Fair Use
General Regulations
Library Mission
The purpose of the Dimitris and Aliki Perrotis Library (DAPL) collections is to serve the needs of its users, i.e. the faculties and students of the AFS educational programs, whether at the primary, secondary, post-secondary or adult levels.
The Collection Development Policy guides the Library in the selection, acquisition and retention of materials for the Library and to serve as a plan for the overall development of its collections. This policy grows and changes to meet the needs of the Library and its users. Accordingly, it will be reviewed and revised as new resources and technologies become available and as the needs of the Library and its users demand.
In order for our library to establish, and achieve, the highest it is necessary that the collections comprise a variety of print and electronic publishing media including, for example, printed books, printed and electronic journals, electronic media and Internet accessible materials.
Priorities
In building the library collection, priority is given to materials and subjects, which directly support the curricula of the Pre-K and Kindergarten, Elementary School, Secondary Educational Programs, Perrotis College and the programs of Adult Education.
Non-curricular, general interest materials will be collected less intensively for the purpose of providing the library constituency with opportunities for more general exploration in the world of ideas, as well as recreational reading materials.
Current Situation, Collection Scope
The addition of new educational programs created the need to separate the library’s collections. Thus:
Dimitris & Aliki Perrotis Library is the central library with holdings of Perrotis College and the Secondary School: The last weeding and evaluation of DAPL print collection took place in 2011. Holdings now comprise of 17,419 vols. at a rough percentage of 38.27% English and 61.72% Greek. (Note: weeding and evaluation of the age of the collection are performed every 3 years).
Pre-K/Kindergarten has libraries in their facilities. A central one and classroom libraries. The last weeding took place in 2017 and the holdings are 1767 vols.
Elementary School has the Samourkas Media and Library Central as a central collection and remote collections in each classroom. The Elementary Library weeding took place in 2017 and the holdings are 2539 vols.
Selection processes
Primary Schools: Every Primary Division assigns the role of a Library representative who communicates directly with the Head Librarian and the Primary School’s librarian liaison on their requests. All requests for electronic and print resources are submitted by the teachers to the library representative who in turn sends the orders to the Head Librarian for approval and purchase.
Secondary Schools: every faculty member submits its proposal(s) to the Secondary school librarian liaison who in turn sends the orders to the Head Librarian for approval and purchase.
The American Farm School staff and residents can request the purchase for print or electronic resources and the Head Librarian decides based on budgetary indicators and the actual need.
Integrated Library System (ILS)
KOHA ILS.
Journals, Periodicals and Newspapers
The DAPL carries 16 GR print journal and periodicals, as well as 3 newspapers. The titles are the following:
Greek journals/magazines
1.
Γεωργία - Κτηνοτροφία
2.
Δήμητρα
3.
Ελληνικό Πανόραμα
4.
Ελιά και Ελαιόλαδο
5.
Θεσσαλονικέων Πόλις
6.
7.
Μελισσοκομική Επιθεώρηση
8.
Οινολογία
9.
Πανόραμα των ελληνικών σούπερ μάρκετ
10.
Φρουτονέα
11.
EL
12.
Fresher
13.
Grape
14.
Profi
15.
Wine Trails
16.
The World of Food Ingredients
Newspapers
1.
Μακεδονία - Θεσσαλονίκη
2.
Agrenda
3.
International New York Times
Databases & E-subscriptions
The library subscribes to nearly around 468,140 English language ebooks representing a broad range of academic subject matters and business topics such as marketing, finance, supply chain management and entrepreneurship.
More specifically the databases are: