Donating and transferring social media account data
Thank you for considering donation of your social media account data to UCSF Archives and Special Collections. These steps will guide you in the download and transfer process.
Important: Social media downloads often include data that you might not have been aware were being gathered. For information about what UCSF Archives will do with such data, and what your options are as a donor, please review our Social Media Collecting and Data Retention Policy.
We collect social media by requesting that donors download a copy of their data and transfer the resulting .zip file to us. The process for social media data download varies, so please refer to the official instructions for each.
- Facebook personal profiles – choose JSON format
- Facebook organizational pages – choose JSON format
- Flickr – choose “Download All Content” directions unless you are only donating an album or selection
Social Media Donation form
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Additional required steps
- Include additional form for transfer or deed of gift: You will have been provided with either a Records Transfer form or an extended Deed of Gift by the University Archivist. Complete that before transferring your social media data to the archives.
- Download your data file: Download a copy of your data following the social-media-specific instructions above.
- Transfer your data file: Send your .zip data file to us using one of these methods:
- UCSF Box (preferred)
Upload to any folder shared with digitalarchives@ucsf.edu, or contact the Digital Archivist if you need a folder created for you. - USB drive
Mail it to us, but please discuss with the Digital Archivist first. - Email
With the file attached, send to libraryarchives@ucsf.edu and digitalarchives@ucsf.edu (note that this may not work if the .zip file is too large). - Any file sharing service
Download access must be given to the Digital Archivist - If using this method, be sure there is no protected health information (PHI) in your social media accounts as per HIPAA.
- UCSF Box (preferred)
Questions?
If you encounter trouble or have any questions, please contact us or call 415-502-7539.