The best arrangement is usually to preserve papers in the archives of the institution with which the chemist or chemical engineer has been most closely associated during his or her career. The Chemical Heritage Foundation its very mission being to preserve the history of the chemical sciences is also a viable alternative. The staff of CHF are well qualified to assist you in deciding upon the best permanent home for your personal papers. Archivists do not ask donors to sort, cull, and rearrange their papers before deposit. In fact, they prefer that donors not do so.
Archivists believe that the original order of the papers themselves has significance.
They may also recognize historical value in documents that scientists or engineers might discard as worthless. The donor can provide vital assistance to the archivist by identifying documents and providing contextual information with which to evaluate the contents of the collection. However, if you find you possess multiple copies of newsletters, correspondence, stationery, envelopes, and the like, a good general rule of thumb if to submit only one copy to the archive. All archivists will, upon request, return any unwanted materials to the donor. Items of particular sentimental value to the family, such as an important letter of recommendation, can be copied and the original returned.