Access Guidelines
- Collections may be consulted on an appointment basis Monday through Friday between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Advance notice is required. Please contact the department to schedule an appointment.
- The use of the reading room is reserved for researchers using materials housed in Special Collections and University Archives.
- Personal items must be placed in lockers.
- All researchers must sign the guest register, present identification, and complete a collection-use form.
- Researchers may bring in paper, a notebook, a laptop, a digital camera, and/or pencils. Only pencil is permitted for all note-taking. Pens may not be used for any purpose in the reading room.
- Food, beverages, and gum chewing are not permitted in the reading room.
- A quiet atmosphere is conducive to research and should be maintained at all times. Phone calls may be made or taken in the front lobby.
- Items may be consulted only in the reading room and may not be removed from the premises.
- Materials must be handled with great care. Researchers must not write upon, lean upon, mark, or otherwise alter or mishandle materials provided for their use. Items should be kept flat upon the surface of table. No books, papers, or other objects may be laid on the materials. Gloves, book weights and cradles are available, if needed.
- In general, only one book or manuscript box may be consulted at a time. The exact sequence of the papers must be maintained. If the papers are out of sequence, please inform a staff member and do not rearrange the items yourself. Only one folder should be removed at a time, and its place marked with acid-free strips available from the staff person at the reference desk.
- Inquiries concerning photocopying of materials must be referred to the staff, whose decision in such matters is final. For large collections, there is a limit of 300 copies. Digital photography is allowed. Requests for photocopying may be denied because of the fragility of the material, possible damage to the item (including bindings), restrictions imposed by the donor, or other factors.