Registration & Guidelines for Use

Registration Procedures

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections is open to the public--to students, faculty, visiting researchers and members of the community. First-time researchers should proceed to the Reference desk on level 2b of the Carl A. Kroch Library to fill out a registration card and present photo identification. Registration cards are kept on file and should be updated once per year. Materials are requested on call slips available at the Reference desk. Requested materials will be paged by collections staff and brought to researchers in the Reading Room. Although no appointments are required, out-of-town researchers interested in archival or manuscript collections may wish to call in advance, as some manuscript collections are housed in the Library's Annex and take a day to arrive.

Guidelines for Use of Materials

Materials held by the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections are non-circulating. In order to protect and preserve the rare and fragile books and documents under our care, we ask researchers to abide by the following guidelines:

• Materials from the collections are to be used only in the Reading Room.
• No materials from the collections will be issued to anyone who cannot present valid photo identification and who does not complete a registration card.
• Pencils only may be used in the Reading Room; pens may not be used.
• Laptop computers may be used in the Reading Room; electrical outlets are available.
• No tobacco, food or beverages are allowed in the Reading Room or elsewhere in the Library.
• Bookbags, backpacks, purses, briefcases, coats, newspapers, umbrellas, etc. are not allowed in the Reading Room; coat rack and lockers are provided.
• All books, manuscripts, and other materials from the collections must be handled with special care. Printed books and bound manuscripts must be used on book supports, and gloves will sometimes be required with fragile or otherwise delicate materials.
• Manuscript items are issued one box, or in some cases, one folder at a time.
• All materials must be returned to the supervision desk when a researcher leaves the Reading Room.
• Researchers wishing to use the same materials again within two weeks may ask to have them placed on hold.
• Users of the collections are expected to abide by all stated copyright regulations.
• Photocopying is done by library staff at the discretion of the curators. Request forms are available at the supervision desk.