Reading Room

University Archives & Historical Collections (UAHC) serves the public by making historical materials available for research. Our policies and procedures balance the needs of researchers with the long-term preservation and security of our holdings.

Public access to the University Archives & Historical Collections is provided in Conrad Hall, Room 101, by appointment only. Appointments must be scheduled at least three (3) business days in advance: this reflects the time required to page materials and schedule staff. Appointment times are limited to hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM ET. For assistance, please contact UAHC via email at archives@msu.edu or telephone at (517) 355-2330.

Visitors are expected to abide by the Reading Room Guidelines:

PLEASE DO:

• Take photographs without flash
• Handle items gently, turn pages slowly
• Maintain the order and arrangement of archival folders and boxes
• Store coats, bags, and other personal items in the spaces provided
• Bring with you only materials such as paper, pencils, tablets, and laptop computers needed for note-taking

PLEASE DO NOT:

• Bring food or beverage into the reading room
• Bring pens into the reading room
• Place items, including tracing paper, on top of materials
• Make any marks in or erase any marks from materials
• Lean on materials
• Talk on your cell phone

Each researcher must complete a researcher registration form and present photo identification.

Access and Restrictions Policy

Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections reserves the right to restrict access to materials due to factors such as the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), personally identifying information, or preservation concerns.

Conditions of Access

• Archival materials are non-circulating.
• Researchers must abide by the rules of the reading room.
• UAHC reserves the right to restrict access to materials deemed too fragile to handle and/or are valuable. Reasonable attempts will be made to provide access to reproductions of the originals.
• Researchers will give explicit credit and citation to "Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections" in any publication or other format to images, quotations, or data based on UAHC records.
• Researchers agree not to publish information in breach of the access policy if they find information inadvertently left in the collections.
• Photocopies or reproductions will not be transferred to other individuals or agencies without explicit prior written permission of UAHC.