Collection Development Policy

The Black Gospel Archives focuses on acquiring, cataloging, preserving, and providing discovery for Black sacred music created, performed, published, and circulated during the mid-20th century. The scope includes quartets, choirs, and solo performances; Black preaching and historical archives from the Black church. The collection supports research, instruction, public programming, and an emphasis on under-represented artists.

• Sound recordings: 78s, 45s, LPs, EPs, reel-to-reel, cassette tapes, lacquer discs/acetates, test pressings, master recordings
• Printed music & publications: hymnals, songbooks, sheet music, lead sheets, choir arrangements, denominational and independent catalogs, trade publications, newsletters, church bulletins, programs
• Manuscripts & organizational records: artist and ensemble papers; label, publisher, promoter, venue records; correspondence; contracts; ledgers
• Audiovisual & broadcast: transcription discs, radio recordings, television masters, U-matic/VHS, Betacam, and Betamax
• Photographic materials: prints, negatives, slides
• Ephemera & memorabilia (paper-based): flyers, posters, tickets, press kits, promotional mailers
• Oral histories: interviews (audio/video) documenting the 1940–1980 period
• Born-digital surrogates: preservation masters and access copies created from analog originals; metadata and documentation supporting use and rights

1. Creators & ensembles: recording artists, directors, composers/arrangers, quartets, mass choirs, community choirs, youth choirs, church music ministries.
2. Broadcast & media: gospel radio programming (scripts, logs, airchecks), early television features, local cable/closed-circuit church broadcasts.
3. Archival Materials: sermons from Black preachers (print and audio/video), historical Black church archives.
4. Regional ecosystems: major hubs (Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Memphis, Atlanta) and overlooked geographies (rural South, Midwest, Southwest).
5. Preservation risk: unique, at-risk AV materials (lacquers, reel-to-reel, cassette masters) prioritized for stabilization and digitization.

• Mid-century recordings: strong representation of commercial and semi-commercial releases (78s, 45s, LPs).
• Printed repertoire: songbooks, and choir arrangements.
• Photographic assets: publicity stills, performance photography, and congregation life in the Black church.

Unless integral to the mission of the repository,

• Musical instruments, choir robes, and large 3D artifacts (case-by-case if provenance is exceptional).
• Framed items that cannot be safely stored flat or rolled
• Secular recordings or ephemera
• Non-Black gospel music
• Mastering/production gear without archival records linking to Black gospel outputs

• Website: https://library.web.baylor.edu/gospel
• Email: digitalcollectionsinfo@baylor.edu
• Director: Darryl Stuhr, darryl_stuhr@baylor.edu