Brief Description: Constituent Relations is a collective term describing those functions of the Senator's office that primarily dealt with the requests of Kansans. This public relations aspect deals with more than just constituent contacts, though. Contacts between the Senator's office and citizens of other states, business leaders, lobbyists, and politicians are also described here. In addition to the 7 series described below, Constituent Relations also contains Senator Dole's casework files. These document the Senator's work on behalf of constituents who have problems with federal agencies. These files have been retained but have not been processed or described in the database. Because of the amount of personal information contained in these records, they are restricted indefinitely. As a unit, the Constituent Relations files illuminate the ways in which the Senator served his constituency and the staff responsible for carrying that workload.

Record Series Number: 01/002

Created by: Dole, Robert J. (1923-2021)

Volume: 293.0 Linear Feet

Arrangement: Where materials were originally arranged chronologically, this scheme has been preserved. Otherwise, materials are arranged alphabetically. Because multiple staff members were responsible for tracking constituent correspondence, the Issue Mail sub-series displays three organizational schemes: alphabetical by name, alphabetical by topic, and numerically by a serial number that is referenced in an issue mail index.

Access Restrictions: Some materials within the Dole Archive are restricted because of their sensitive nature or because they contain personal or confidential information. These records are protected by federal laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Examples of restricted records are personnel files, medical records, financial records, and any materials containing personal information such as addresses and social security numbers. Restricted materials are identified at the box and/or folder level within the finding aid. Questions about these materials may be directed to the Senior Archivist of the Dole Archives. The casework files in the collection have been retained but are restricted indefinitely. Access may be allowed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Dole Archives and only after a proposal has been reviewed and approved by the University of Kansas Human Subjects Committee.

Languages of Materials

Rights/Use Restrictions: Copyright restrictions apply in different ways to different kinds of materials. Many of the documents and other historical materials in the Archive are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. Senator Dole has not donated his copyright interest in his papers and other historical materials to the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. Permission to publish must be obtained from him or his designee. There are other materials in the library carrying a copyright interest that must be used according to the provisions of Title 17 of the U.S. Code. The Archive issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. Although the copyright law is under constant redefinition in the courts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the researcher to properly use copyrighted materials.