Guidelines

Visitors & Reading Room Guidelines
If one is planning to grace the Research Center with one’s presence, the Center’s staff and volunteers would appreciate one taking the time to read the Research Center’s guidelines and rules. The following is for the safety and security of the collections’ materials.  Please carefully read the following rules and all are welcomed to ask any questions.

  • The Research Center is open to the public Wednesdays-Fridays from 12 noon – 4pm and on Saturdays from 10am – 2pm.  NOTE:  Archival materials will not be retrieved for patrons after 3:45pm.
  • Patrons are asked to leave all personal materials (including purses, backpacks, briefcases, cell phones etc.) in the lockers provided. Locks and keys are provided for convenience. Coats can be placed in lockers or on the Reading Room coat rack.
  • NO EATING, DRINKING (INCLUDES WATER) OR SMOKING ARE ALLOWED IN RESEARCH CENTER. 
  • NO CAMERAS, SCANNERS OR SCANNING WANDS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED IN RESEARCH CENTER. 
  • NO CELL PHONES MAY BE USED IN RESEARCH CENTER.  Please turn off cell phone(s) and place in provided lockers along with other personal items.
  • All patrons must fill out the entire research registration form, sign & date, and submit a photo I.D. such as a driver’s license, school I.D., military I.D. or state I.D. card.  Your I.D. will be returned to you when you have completed your research and are ready to leave the Research Center.
  • Only pencils and blue colored paper are allowed in the Research Center. Archives staff can supply these at no charge.
  • Laptops and tape recorders are only allowed with Research Center staff approval. Cases for these devices must be kept in the lockers noted above.
  • To view archival items, all patrons must fill out a “Request for Materials” slip provided by staff.
  • Please exercise all possible care to prevent damage to our archival materials – please do not lean, write, fold anew, trace or roughly handle any of the documents, maps, records or photos.  Unbound documents/records are to be kept in order in which they are received.
  • Gloves are provided by the staff and must be worn when viewing photographs and other rare or fragile materials.
  • Self-service photocopying is available for a fee – .10 cents for museum members or .20 cents for non-members.  NOTE: Older, fragile or oversized materials must be copied by staff or volunteers only.  Photographs and restricted archeological materials may not be photocopied under any circumstances.  For the security of the materials, photocopies are only available on blue-colored paper.
  • Please ask for assistance and a tutorial when using the microfilm viewers/printers.
  • The Research Center Library is an open-stack, non-circulating library. Researchers and patrons are welcome to browse the books in the open stacks but they will NOT be able to check out any of the books.  These materials are for “in-house” or “in-Center” use and research only.
  • Library staff may inspect patrons’ research papers before they leave the library.
  • Digital and print reproduction of photographic images can be ordered.  Please consult with a Research Center staff member for a Reproduction Costs list and/or Permission-to-Use fee schedule.
  • COLLECTION MATERIALS, RECORDS AND BOOKS CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE RESEARCH CENTER PREMISES.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES THEFT OR MUTILATION OF RECORDS IS A CRIME.