Harmful Content

The University of Scranton’s Special Collections, University Archives and Digital Collections make publicly available historical materials created either by University members or, in the case of special collections, materials created during the past 1000 years by people not affiliated with The University. These collections reflect a variety of viewpoints on social, political, and intellectual issues of the past and recent present. Some of these collections include materials which contain negative and/or discriminatory stereotypes, language, or symbols aimed at individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, social class, or religion, etc. Special Collections, University Archives and Digital Collections do not condone these viewpoints.

We make these materials available to researchers, either in-person or online, without redaction or abridgment in order to avoid altering or suppressing the historical record. In making these materials available we are guided by the core values of the Society of American Archivists and other professional organizations to provide access to historical material in our custody. We believe that providing access to and supporting engagement with historical documents, including those that may be offensive, is critical for understanding history. The Library offers research and instructional services to facilitate the study and interpretation of our materials and to support scholarship and dialogue.
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