About the Collection

Who We Collect From

We collect materials from expatriates during and after their time abroad. The EAC defines an expatriate as someone living temporarily in a country other than their home country. In today's globalised world, millions of people choose to live abroad, weaving their lives between diverse cultures and languages. These people often find themselves beyond the usual labels. They navigate new customs, learn new languages, and adapt to diverse ways of life, creating a unique story that defies simple narratives.

We recognise the diverse experiences of these global wanderers and welcome individuals who may not fit neatly into categories or prefer to use different terms - or none of them - to identify themselves. This includes Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Cross Culture Kids (CCKs), global nomads, foreigners, internationals, migrants, knowledge migrants, international assignees, transferees, exchange students, accompanying partners, repatriates, and returnees.

For us, expatriate is an inclusive term used to distinguish our focus from archives centred on other types of migrants. We also gather materials from organisations involved in expatriate matters and global mobitility, such as Global Outpost Services, the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas, and Radio Netherlands Worldwide. The following list is not exhaustive but highlights the wide variety of expatriates we collect from:

• business: entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, and employees of international or local businesses;
• economic: temporary workers seeking employment opportunities abroad;
• academic: researchers, lecturers on exchange programmes, or international students;
• non-profit/NGO: individuals working with non-governmental, non-profit, and charitable organisations;
• intergovernmental: employees of the United Nations and other international organisations;
• diplomatic: embassy and consular staff;
• religious: missionaries and workers in religious associations;
• sport: athletes assigned to clubs or involved in teaching/coaching;
• cultural: artists, musicians, and other creatives;
• military: personnel on missions or stationed abroad;
• expatriate spouses, partners, and children: family members accompanying any of the above;
• repatriates and returnees: individuals returning to their home countries after an expatriate experience.

What We Collect

We collect personal archives from individuals, families and organisational archives related to expatriate life. Materials are accepted in various formats - handwritten, typed, printed, or digital - in any language and from any country.

Our primary focus is on unpublished, unique personal writings (ego documents) such as letters and diaries, complemented by relevant materials like photographs and films. We also welcome archives from organisations that serve or involve the expatriate community, such as newsletters, meeting minutes, and reports.

Your material does not necessarily need to be organised. We consider every collection on a case-by-case basis.

We prioritise coherent collections of material over single items, particularly emphasising written documents and photographs. These materials should relate to an individual's time living abroad, the repatriation period, or the time leading up to a move abroad. Audio-visual or other supplementary materials are considered secondary. Whenever possible, we prefer original documents rather than copies. Copies and transcripts are only accepted when the originals are unavailable, and the content is significant to the EAC's mission. We aim to collect rare and unique materials rather than widely available publications like books or magazines. For more specific examples and details, please refer to our Collecting Policy.

Examples of materials we collect:

1. Individual and family archives: the following examples are ranked by their importance to our collection:
   
   • correspondence: includes letters, emails, notes, postcards, or any other form of written communication, whether traditional or digital;
   • diaries and journals: handwritten or typed, detailed or brief, commercially printed or in plain notebook;
   • websites and blogs: both sparsely recorded and continuously maintained;
   • articles, manuscripts and essays: handwritten or typed, whether fragments or complete, commercially printed or drafts;
   • scrapbooks, photo albums: individually designed visual documents with considerable annotations and identifying information about subjects, locations, and persons. The EAC does not accept photographs or videos without accompanying explanatory text;
   • audio-visual documents: films, videos, recorded interviews, or similar materials, provided they include substantial annotations and identifying information about subjects, locations, and persons;
   • personal or legal documents: certificates, awards, programmes, invitations, membership cards, inventory lists, or other related materials in traditional or digital formats;
   • pictures and visual materials: loose photos, photographic prints, drawings, paintings, posters, maps, or similar items with sufficient annotations about subjects, locations, and persons;
   • additional documentary material: newsletters, newspapers, magazines, clippings, tickets, invitations, school reports, yearbooks, or other related materials.
2. Organisational archives: we also collect materials from organisations that serve or involve the expatriate community; examples include:
   
   • annual reports and meeting minutes: from organisations composed of, or supporting, expatriates;
   • organisational publications: newsletters, magazines, or e-zines, whether printed or digital;
   • correspondence: including letters, emails, notes, or postcards, in traditional or digital formats;
   • websites and blogs: both sparsely recorded and continuously maintained.

If you're unsure whether your materials would be a valuable addition to our collection, please get in touch with us. We will be happy to help!

How We Process the Material

We handle all source material with great care, following a structured procedure to ensure both preservation and accessibility. Once we receive a collection and the donation agreement is signed, our team - assisted by trained volunteers - processes the material while respecting its original order and context. Whether an archive will be digitised is decided on a case-by-case basis. 

Every donor can request a digital copy of their collection. Original materials are stored in acid-free boxes under climate-controlled conditions. As our collection continues to grow, just over half is housed at the EAC premises, while the remainder is stored in an external archival repository. 

In line with our commitment to protecting personal data, we ensure that all materials are handled in accordance with privacy laws. The EAC complies with Dutch law and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Personal data provided through donations is processed solely for the purposes of archiving and research and is kept secure throughout the entire process. We also ensure compliance with copyright regulations to safeguard both the donor's and EAC's legal rights.