York University acquires archival records and books from individuals or organizations to support research and teaching. Personal and professional correspondence, diaries, minutes of meetings, reports, project and research files, draft manuscripts and speeches, photographs, maps, technical drawings, sound and moving recordings, and reference libraries are but some of the material that can be used by students, faculty, an international community of scholars and the public to create knowledge that enhances our understanding of humanity’s relationship with the built and natural worlds.
The Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections acquires material relating to Canadian women, Canadian writers, the arts, social reform, labour, environmental studies, the multi-cultural imagination, communications, sexual diversity, and the faculty of York University. Gifts of archives and books that have enduring research value may be eligible for a tax receipt based on an assessment of fair market value by an independent expert.
Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections Acquisition Moratorium
The Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections has a moratorium in place for private records acquisitions until January 2026. This means that archivists are not currently acquiring new collections or accepting accruals to existing collections as the archives are at capacity with our on-site storage space and with existing processing commitments. As the potential for external storage partnerships are being explored, the department’s focus turns to a significant processing backlog that has accrued as an externality of the pandemic.
We encourage existing donors and potential donors to contact Anna St.Onge, interim head of Archives & Special Collections at astonge@yorku.ca with any questions or concerns. The department is keeping track of communications and maintaining a priority list of donors seeking to deposit materials. The department will revisit the status of the acquisitions moratorium in January 2026 and should it be lifted, will follow up the individuals and/or organizations on their priority list. Departmental staff are available for consultations during our public office hours, which can be booked online.
Special Collections
In the case of bound and published materials for donation to Special Collections, the department is facing storage constraints. Potential donors are asked to prepare an inventory of the material they wish to donate for preliminary review. Archivists may determine that a site visit is required to conduct a preliminary assessment of a library being considered for donation.