Appointment Schedule: Academic Year 2023 - 2024

In order to provide more efficient and effective service, the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) offers 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.

Effective Monday, September 25, SCARC will offer the following appointment blocks:

• Mondays: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
• Tuesdays: 10:30 am - 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
• Wednesday Open House hours: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (no appointments offered)
• Thursdays: 10:30 am - 1:30 pm and 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
• Fridays: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

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. Patrons who will be traveling long distances, or who are planning extended research visits, are especially encouraged to contact us well in advance of their visit.

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'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. Please note that scanning is generally done at the folder level to facilitate use by future researchers. Scanning services are limited to paper records and are dependent on staff availability; turnaround time may exceed two weeks.

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. To ensure you’re able to make the most of your time with us, preliminary Zoom consultations are encouraged. We’re happy to help you make your visit a successful one in whatever way we can!

Materials are pulled by the box, rather than by the folder. Materials necessary to your research must be requested in advance of your appointment, and will be limited to six (6) cubic feet of material (i.e. the amount that will fit on a library book cart). No more than five (5) oversize map folders can be paged per visit. Paging-on-demand services are not offered during appointments.

During a research appointment, 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:

• Gloves (only required when handling photographs)
• BookEye overhead scanner (for the digitization of materials)
• Pencils
• Magnifying glasses
• Light boxes (for viewing slides)

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.

We're always available to answer your questions, and may be able to assist you remotely! Please reach out to us via our department email, scarc@oregonstate.edu, and we'll do our best to assist you in your research.

Using Materials

1. Food is not allowed in SCARC. All drinks must be stored in sealed containers in the coatroom.
2. All personal items, excluding writing utensils, notepaper, laptops, and cameras, must be placed in the coat room or personal locker for security purposes.
3. All cell phones and other electronic devices must be silenced while in SCARC.
4. Pens and other non-erasable writing utensils are prohibited in the reading room. Pencils are available at the reference desk.
5. Adhesives including glue, tape, and post-it notes are prohibited in the reading room.
6. Materials may not be marked, folded, or handled in any way likely to damage them.
7. No more than one book or archival box may be accessed at a time.
8. Protective gloves must be worn when examining photographic collections.
9. No research materials may be removed from the reading room.
10. All unbound materials (papers within folders and folders within boxes) must remain in the exact order received.
11. Flash photography of SCARC materials is not allowed.
12. Face coverings are no longer required in the Valley Library or SCARC, but are always welcome.

Using Lockers:

SCARC offers use of personal lockers to its researchers on the conditions that:

1. SCARC materials may not be brought into the coatroom or placed inside a locker.
2. No items may be left in the lockers after closing time.
3. Any items left in a SCARC locker after closing will be transferred to the Valley Library Circulation Desk Lost & Found.
4. For safety and security reasons, the SCARC staff reserves the right to open a secured locker at any time.
5. The patron agrees to pay a $25.00 fine for loss of or damage to a locker key in their possession or damage to a locker.

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.

The outermost set of doors leading into our exhibit gallery are open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday to provide access to the exhibit. The interior / second set of doors leading into the SCARC Reading Room are closed, but unlocked, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. You're welcome to enter through these doors, and ask our archivists about our collections and/or making an appointment. However, we can't provide access to our materials without an appointment.

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.

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.

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 (summer Open House hours are from 2:00 to 4:00pm on Wednesdays), 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.

Please note: The Linus Pauling Nobel Prize medals have been relocated to the new Student Welcome Center, located in the southwest corner of Reser Stadium. The Welcome Center is open to the public, and the medals are viewable without an appointment during Welcome Center hours (8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday - Friday). For more information, please reach out to Welcome Center staff by email at visit.osu@oregonstate.edu, or by phone at (541) 737-2626.

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.