Using Special Collections
Using Special Collections
Planning your visit
We welcome all students, staff, faculty, and members of the public to visit during our regular hours. To ensure the best experience, we do encourage you to schedule an appointment in advance by emailing special@vbj4.com.
You can find our rare books and other print holdings by searching the library catalog.
You can search our finding aids for our archival collections to learn more about our holdings.
We are also happy to help you identify materials that fit your research interests.
Procedures for using our collections
Our physical collections are unique, so we follow special procedures to ensure they are protected. A small number of the collections have additional donor imposed or legal restrictions.
All researchers are asked to complete a registration form.
Pencils, digital devices, and loose sheets of paper are welcomed in the Research Room. Please check all bags, cases, coats, hats, pens, and other materials into lockers that are available for your use. No food or drink is allowed in the Research Room.
When you arrive, Special Collections staff will provide you with brief instructions on how to safely handle rare and fragile materials. Nitrile gloves are available for handling certain materials.
The stacks in Special Collections are not open for browsing. Instead, researchers request materials and our staff assists in identifying and pulling relevant materials to your research or other interest areas.
Researchers may use requested materials in the Special Collections Research Room, but they may not be checked out. Use of some Special Collections materials may be subject to restrictions. A selection of materials are stored offsite and may require additional time for retrieval.
You are welcome to your personal phone or other device to take images of the materials. However, personal scanners, or other tools that have direct contact with the surface of the materials, are not allowed. Please ask for assistance in setting up the research materials for photography. We have books supports, book weights, and other devices that can help improve visibility of the materials while also protecting their integrity. For more information on reproductions of our materials, view our full reproduction policy.
Schedule a research appointment
We are happy to meet with you in person or online to discuss how our collections can support your research. We can help you identify resources from our physical and digitized collections, and highly recommend scheduling an appointment before visiting to access our physical resources.
Special Collections is located on the ground floor of Ingram Library and can be accessed either using the elevator or taking the marble staircase down from the main lobby. The entrance to Special Collections is located down the elevator hallway and past a wooden door.