Appointment Schedule: Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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 Tuesday, September 24, 2024, SCARC will offer the following appointment blocks:

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

Appointments must be requested and confirmed 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, national holidays, 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. SCARC is happy to remediate digitized materials as needed and upon request via our department email (scarc@oregonstate.edu).

Please be advised: SCARC's Reading Room and collection spaces are monitored by closed circuit television cameras at all times. Please reach out to Public Services staff by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu with questions or concerns about this practice.

Summer Hours

SCARC’s summer appointment hours will begin Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Appointment blocks will be offered:

• Tuesdays: 10:30am - 1:30pm, and 1:30pm - 4:30pm,
• Wednesdays: 10:30am - 12:30pm, and 12:30pm - 2:30pm (Open House hours: 2:30pm - 4:30pm)
• Thursdays: 10:30am - 1:30pm, and 1:30pm - 4:30pm

No appointments will be offered on Mondays or Fridays. The hours listed above will be in effect through Friday, September 19, 2025.

Please note: the Valley Library and the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) will be closed:

• Monday, June 16th through Friday, June 20th
• Wednesday, August 27th
• Monday, September 8th through Friday, September 12th

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 (please see the calendar on our website for notice of any 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.

SCARC will resume its regularly scheduled appointment hours Monday, September 22, 2025.

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 four (4) oversize map folders can be paged per appointment block, per day. 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.

Before Your Visit:

1. Having trouble identifying a research topic? Try browsing!
   Trying to narrow your topic? Not sure about your topic? You can browse SCARC’s collections by People, Places, and Topics by hovering over the "Collections" tab on our homepage. If you're interested in a topic related to a specific format of materials, you can browse SCARC's collections by "Type." SCARC's archivists have also compiled subject guides on a variety of topics (and formats) that may be useful if you're in need of inspiration or are feeling stuck.
2. Try the library catalog.
   If you're interested in identifying as many resources relevant to your research as possible, the Library's catalog - 1Search - is your one-stop shop. After running a search, you can sort your results in a variety of ways, including Availability (e.g. physically available at OSU), Resource Type, (e.g. articles, print books, dissertations), and Library (e.g. Special Collections, Valley, Guin). These results limiters can make all the difference in finding exactly what you're looking for! For example, a search for "physics" in 1Search, returns over 19,000,000 results! But, if you want to know what you can physically consult in the Library, and you're interested in what SCARC has to offer, limiting the results by Availability (at OSU) and Library (Special Collections) returns just a fraction of the original results. Limiting further by Resource Type (e.g. Dissertations and Theses), Subject (e.g. Quantum Theory), or Publication Date (e.g. 1800-1900) will get you that much closer to finding the perfect resource(s)!
3. Be creative and think historically!
   Always try different words for the same thing, or a person's name in a different order (e.g. "Smith, John" versus "John Smith"). In some cases, you may need to run a broader search - e.g. for "tennis" instead of "women's tennis" - and do a bit more digging to find what you're really looking for. Consider also that the terminology or subject terms you're familiar with may have changed over time. For example, Oregon State University used to be Oregon Agricultural College, and Community Hall used to be known as Benton Hall.
4. Connect with other researchers.
   Running a simple Google search can be a great way to identify other researchers who share your interests or specialize in your topic (e.g. a professor at OSU or another university, or a researcher who has published on the topic). Consider reaching out to them to see what archives or resources they found to be most useful.
5. Prioritize your requests.
   What collections appear to be most relevant to your research topic? Are there any collections that include your search terms in the folder titles or other parts of the collection's finding aid? Whenever possible - and especially when there are many collections that relate to your topic - creating a prioritized list can help avoid too many wild goose chases. If you're not sure, you can always ask an archivist!
6. Reach out to the archives.
   Like many other archives, SCARC provides access to its collections by appointment, so it's a good idea to think ahead and reach out to the archives well in advance of the date you'd like to visit. If your project, paper, or article is due in April, and you need time to take stock of what you've discovered and write a rough draft, consider visiting the archives in January or February (or earlier). This should give you ample time to make multiple visits, explore a variety of collections, and write up your findings. SCARC's archivists will always do their best to support you, no matter your deadline, but the more time you give yourself, the more time you give us to help you!
7. Make time for the unexpected!
   Archival research can be a time-consuming and incredibly rewarding process - that's part of what makes it unique and special. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to conduct your research, and for unexpected discoveries.

During Your Visit:

1. Document, document, document!
   To ensure the security and privacy of researcher data, reference correspondence is purged on a semi-regular basis, and the circulation information you received when materials are checked out to you is often not complete enough for you to retrace your steps. It's important to keep careful track of materials you've reviewed, and any materials relevant to your research. Some ways to do this:
   • Take pictures: One of the easiest ways to document what collections you've used, and any materials within those collections you'd like to retain for future reference, is to snap a photograph. For example, as you dig into each new box or book, take a picture of the exterior. You can provide additional bread crumbs for yourself by taking pictures of each folder you access as well; you'd know then that any documents photographed after that came from that specific folder, in that specific box. All researchers are welcome to use their personal cameras, cell phones, or tablets to capture images of collection boxes and material! You're also welcome to use our in-house overhead scanner and archives staff are happy to give you a tutorial in its use.
   • Create a spreadsheet: If you don't want to take any photographs, but want to remember the location of useful documents, you could create an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet. Some useful information to capture in your spreadsheet would include: the title of the collection, the box and folder in which a document can be found, the date of the document, and a brief description of the document's content. If you're the analog sort, you could consider keeping a written research journal instead, and use it to log collections you've looked at or would like to look at, and a list of documents you want to cite from in your research (and their locations within their specific collections.
   • Tropy: Tropy is software specifically designed to assist archival researchers in describing, organizing, and keeping track of images captured during the archival research process. It's open source, free to use, and is available for both Mac and Windows operating systems. If you'd like to learn more, Cornell University has compiled a "How To" guide for its use.
   • Zotero: Zotero is a online application that allows you to capture, arrange, share, and describe research resources. It's available for PCs, Macs, and some smartphones. The Harvard Library has put together a guide that may be helpful if you'd like to use Zotero for archival research.
2. Pace yourself.
   Whether it's your first time visiting an archive, or your fiftieth, pacing your review of collections can help make the most of a research visit, and help you avoid burnout. Be sure to take breaks: do a quick flight of stairs in the library or get outside when the weather's nice, and be sure to take a lunch break (even if it's a short one). A coffee shop - Java II - is conveniently located on the first floor of the library, and stocks everything from energy drinks to smoothies, pastries to sandwiches. You're also welcome to bring snacks (e.g. protein or granola bars) and water to the Reading Room on the day of your visit, but they must be kept in the coat room during your research and consumed elsewhere in the library.
3. When in doubt, digitize!
   When you're excited about your research topic, it can be very easy - and tempting - to read each piece of correspondence, or dive deeply down too many research "rabbit holes" and lose track of time. Digitizing materials can also be a great way to approach research if you're still working on narrowing your topic or aren't sure what angle you'll take with your thesis: digitize as much as you can, and then review the materials at your leisure to see if any of the topics or themes resonate with you. We encourage researchers to

Anytime:

1. Check out other similar "how to" guides online.
   Many roads lead to Rome, and we're not the only ones with great ideas about how to best approach archival research! For example, Susette Newberry, librarian at Cornell University, has compiled an incredibly useful guide to archival research that includes information on imaging and transcription software, how to prepare for an archives visit, and citing archival sources. The National Archives and Records Administration has created a suite of pages designed to help you start your research journey, both in the National Archives and in archives generally.
2. Ask for assistance!
   All of SCARC is here to help! If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask them in whatever method works best for you. We can assist you in the Reading Room as part of - or in advance of - your appointment, or we can set up a Zoom consultation to walk you through the various ways to find resources or collections that will be useful to you. You can also reach us by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu. Archival research can be intimidating and complex, but you don't have to do it alone! 

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 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 on the 2nd floor (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), SCARC staff may be able to provide digital access, 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 2:30 to 4:30pm 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.