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Archives & Special Collections

Students, faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public with research inquiries are welcome to consult the Archives & Special Collections. Appointments are highly recommended to ensure availability of materials and staff assistance. For information regarding access to records relating to the Board of Trustees, Office of the President, and other university records, please read our access policies

Hours and Location

The Archives & Special Collections is located on the second floor of the Collins Memorial Library. We are open to researchers Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If you need assistance or would like to make a virtual or in-person research appointment, please email us at archives@pugetsound.edu.

Reading Room Guidelines

  • Material must be viewed in the Archives & Special Collections under staff supervision; no material may be removed from the room.
  • Food, drink, and gum are not allowed in the Reading Room.
  • Researchers are welcome to bring pencils, laptops, tablets, phones, note paper, and cameras to assist with their work.  For the protection of the materials, pens are not permitted.

Handling of Material

  • Please handle material with care and respect to ensure its safety and preservation.
  • Only handle loose items and pages by their edges.
  • Do not fold, tear, cut, or mark, or erase existing marks on items.
  • Gloves are only required for handling photographic materials that are not in transparent sleeves; otherwise, clean, dry hands are best.
  • Please do not use post-it notes, paper clips, pencils, or other objects to mark a place in a book or folder.  Special acid-free paper strips will be provided.
  • Researchers are allowed one archival box or folder or up to three books at their table at any time.
  • Folders should be removed from the box one at a time, and the order of materials within folders and boxes should be maintained. Please report any disarrangement to Archives & Special Collections staff.
  • Foam book rests will be provided for particularly fragile materials.

Reproductions

Copies may be made by staff for the convenience of the individual user in support of research and teaching if the item can stand the stress.

Image Use

Images from the Archives & Special Collections may be copied for personal use only. Use of images for publication or exhibition requires written permission from the University of Puget Sound.

Photographs available through the University of Puget Sound website must be credited to the University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections and to the photographer or creator (if known).  Images on this website must not be altered (cropped/overcopied, etc.) without written permission of the University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections.

In granting permission for publication or other use, the University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections does not surrender its right to exhibit, publish, or otherwise reproduce the materials. It is the user's responsibility to guard against the infringement of rights that might be held by others. The University of Puget Sound is not responsible for the improper or illegal use of any copies of materials held in its collection.

Publication

Permission from the Archives & Special Collections must be obtained before any unpublished documents can be published. In giving permission to copy, quote from, or publish, the Archives & Special Collections does not surrender its own right to publish such material or to grant permission to others to do so. The researcher assumes full responsibility for use of material and for conformity to the laws of defamation, privacy, and copyright, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the University and the Archives & Special Collections from claims arising as a result of use of the material so obtained. If the donors have retained literary rights, the researcher must obtain their permission before publication. If permission to publish is granted, location of the material must be indicated in the work.