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In order to provide more efficient and effective service, the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) is excited to continue offering on-site access to our collections by-appointment. Advance notice of your visit and research interests allows us to better assist you in identifying materials relevant to your research, and provide more efficient service during your on-site visit. A by-appointment model also allows us to limit Reading Room disruptions, and focus on you and on your research needs.
Our appointment blocks for academic year 2022-2023 are:
Appointments must be scheduled at least one (1) business day in advance. Two researchers will be scheduled for the entirety of each appointment block. A third spot may be available for those patrons requiring access to microfilm exclusively. Please contact us at scarc@oregonstate.edu for more information, and to schedule an appointment. To learn more about where to park for your visit, where to eat, and how to find us in the Library, see the "Visiting SCARC" page on the left-hand side of this guide.
Please note that appointment availability is subject to change based on a number of extenuating factors, including but not limited to: staff availability, Valley Library hours, University-mandated curtailment of services, and inclement weather conditions. SCARC reserves the right to cancel appointments; researchers affected by Reading Room closures and appointment cancellations will be notified.
SCARC's Reading Room does occasionally close to accommodate instruction sessions and special events; please see the public calendar on our website for more information. Whenever possible, we will continue to respond to general and reference questions remotely via our department email, scarc@oregonstate.edu, during these closures. In some cases, by working closely with our archivists and librarians, and identifying a limited amount of specific materials, we may be able to support your research remotely through digitization.
Summer Hours
The Valley Library and the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) will be closed:
SCARC’s summer appointment hours will begin Tuesday, June 27. Appointment blocks will be offered:
No appointments will be offered on Mondays or Fridays. The hours listed above will be in effect through Friday, September 22.
We will continue to respond to general and reference questions remotely via our department email, scarc@oregonstate.edu, during closures and on days without in-person research appointments. In some cases, by working closely with our archivists and librarians, and identifying a limited amount of specific materials, we may be able to support your research remotely through digitization.
SCARC will resume its regularly scheduled appointment hours Monday, September 25, 2023.
Though we’re back in our Reading Room on the fifth floor of the Valley Library, some of our services may look a little different.
Accessing SCARC spaces:
Research Services:
You can expedite the research process by having a clear research topic in mind, and/or knowing which collection(s) and box(es) you’d like to review. If you’re working on a class project, letting Public Services staff know allows them to assist you more quickly and efficiently.
Materials are pulled by the box, rather than by the folder. Patrons are asked to use a single box at a time, and only one folder at a time. Maintaining the existing physical order of documents within each folder is paramount. For those new to archival research, Public Services staff are happy to orient you to the proper use of archival materials.
While we do allow the use of personal cameras, cell phones, and tablets to capture images, the use of portable scanners is prohibited. SCARC also provides the following for researcher use and convenience:
SCARC’s Reading Room is equipped with a microform reader for microfilm and microfiche. Due to the rare and fragile nature of audiovisual materials, audio-visual materials are accessible only as digital copies. Our preservation policies do not allow us to view a reel or tape before digitizing it. Please see the Using SCARC Materials page for more information on accessing audio-visual materials.
Using Materials
Using Lockers:
SCARC offers use of personal lockers to its researchers on the conditions that:
A third appointment spot may be available for those patrons requiring access to In-Library-Use only ILLs on microfilm. For researchers requiring access to non-microfilm Library-Use-Only materials (e.g. books and other printed works), scanning arrangements may be made depending on the volume and delicacy of the material. If you'd like to view non-microfilm Library-Use-Only materials in person, an appointment is required.
Please contact us at scarc@oregonstate.edu for more information.
A long, sloped path leads from the corner of SW Jefferson Way and SW Benton Place, past the Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center and the Pharmacy Building, eventually connecting to paths through the Library's quad to the north / main entrance of the Library. Alternately, there are two sets of automatic, button-activated doors at the entrance to the Library's coffee shop (Java II) on the east side of the building, directly across from the Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center. From the coffee shop, patrons can take an elevator to the second / main floor of the Library.
SCARC's Reading Room is on the fifth floor of the Valley Library, and is accessible via two sets of elevators (see floor map). Two sets of manual double doors lead into SCARC's Reading Room; when open, each doorway is approximately 45 inches wide. The tables in SCARC's Reading Room are ADA-compliant, and tall enough to accommodate a wheelchair or similar mobility device.
All restrooms in the Valley Library include accessible stalls with grab bars. Restrooms on the main / second floor of the Valley Library are gender neutral, or gender-inclusive. There are men’s and women’s restrooms accessible on other floors, along with additional, single-user gender-inclusive restrooms on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th floors.
SCARC staff are committed to mitigating the risks associated with on-site collection consultations, and will continue to make disinfecting supplies available to researchers.
Effective Saturday, March 12, in most OSU settings, masks will be welcomed, but not required. Visitors to SCARC will no longer be required to wear a mask during their visit, but should feel free to do so as comfort dictates. SCARC public service staff are committed to making your visit as comfortable as possible, and are more than happy to follow your lead in this regard.
Remote reference inquiries will continue to be addressed to the best of our ability. If you’re unable to visit us in person, please contact us at scarc@oregonstate.edu.
We’re excited to announce the addition of Open House hours, which began spring term 2022! Our Open House hours, offered every Wednesday between the hours of 10:00am and 1:00pm, provide visitors the opportunity to drop by our Reading Room on the 5th floor of the Valley Library . One of our outstanding Student Archivists will be on hand to answer general questions about our space and services, and the Linus Pauling Office exhibit will be open for self-guided tours.
In-stacks, “behind the scenes” tours have been discontinued. SCARC is unable to support tours of its Reading Room and other public spaces, though groups are welcome to visit during our Open House hours.
Please note:
No appointments will be offered during these open house hours; researchers interested in making an appointment to work with collections in person, or who have questions about the scope of our holdings and the research we can support, should contact us at scarc@oregonstate.edu.
The Reading Room is not an open study space. The first floor is a designated silent floor, and the 6th floor is home to the Graduate Student Commons. Study rooms throughout the library can be reserved at the Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor, and the rotunda on the 5th floor is a great place to study.
Please contact us at scarc@oregonstate.edu for more information or with any questions.
121 The Valley Library
Corvallis OR 97331–4501
Phone: 541-737-3331