Special Collections & Archives: Visitor Information

Archival material is unique and often fragile. In an effort to preserve documents and books for future generations, archival material does not circulate and must be used in accordance with the following guidelines.

• Items may be used only in the Special Collections & Archives Reading Room.
• All bags or purses must be left outside of the reading room. Researchers can either hang their bags/purses on the hooks outside the reading room or they can leave their belongings in a locker at no charge. 
• Due to the potential harmful residue of ink, only pencils may be used for note-taking purposes. Pencils are provided. 
• No food or drink is allowed. No tobacco/vaping is allowed.
• We have a photocopier for researcher use. Personal cameras may also be used.

• All material must be handled with care. Any material that exists in alternate formats such as photocopies, microfilm or publications must be referred to before the archival original will be paged.
• Multiple boxes of material may be paged at one time, but a researcher must use only one box at a time.
• When using a box of material, remove only one folder from the box at a time and replace the folder with the out card provided.
• When using a folder, maintain the exact order of the material in the folder and do not remove materials from the folders except to take them to the photocopier, then return them immediately to their place in the folder. Only single documents (which may be multipage) should be removed from the folder at any one time.
• Photographic prints and negatives should be handled by their edges.
• Marks may not be added or erased from material.
• The unique nature of archival material sometimes necessitates restrictions on photocopying; therefore, any material deemed fragile or that will be damaged as a result of photocopying may not be copied by the researcher.