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Policies and Procedures

The Special Collections Reading Room is currently located on the third floor of Mullins Library in room 329 and open by appointment only. Appointments are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday. Please note that the Reading Room is closed daily from noon to 1 p.m.

Special Collections is open to all researchers interested in its collections, subject to the regulations outlined below. Procedures derive from these basic concerns as well as industry best practices: quality of service to researchers, security and preservation of the materials, courtesy to other researchers, and compliance with university and library regulations.

My Special Collections Account

Getting Started

Finding Materials

Not sure where to start? Explore our collection topic guides or view our guide on getting started with your research.

You can also explore our manuscript collections on ArchivesSpace.

For guidance on using our finding aids to make requests for materials, please view our tutorial videos on finding aids in ArchivesSpace, and advanced navigation in ArchivesSpace.

Your Special Collections Account

To request and use material, you must first register as a researcher and create a Special Collections account on our Aeon system. For more information, view our tutorials for creating your account and requesting materials in Aeon.

Accessing our Collections

• Special Collections materials are housed in closed stacks and may be used only in the Reading Room. Researchers request materials through their Special Collections account, and staff retrieve materials for use in the Reading Room.
• Many materials are stored off site; one week advance notice is required for retrieval. Materials may be held upon request for up to one week after your initial visit.
• Donor-imposed restrictions and processing status may limit access to collections, the availability of reproductions, or the ability to publish. Researchers agree to abide by any and all restrictions, as communicated by staff when materials are requested for use.

Using the Reading Room

• Researchers may bring loose paper or notebooks (upon inspection), pencils, laptop computers, tablets, and cell phones into the Reading Room. All other belongings must be placed in a token-operated storage locker.
• Electronic devices brought into the Reading Room should be muted, and cell phone calls should be taken outside.
• Use of personal scanners or negative/slide viewers is prohibited. Researchers are welcome to use the public KIC scanner, light board, and loop made available in the Reading Room. Review our Reproductions page to learn more about Special Collections reproduction policies.
• Food and drink are not permitted in the Reading Room.
• Follow all handling procedures outlined by staff.
• Use pencils to take notes; pens are not permitted in the Reading Room. Pencils may be obtained from staff.
• Researchers agree to follow policies and procedures governing duplication requests.
• Some materials may include sensitive or confidential information protected under federal and/or state privacy laws and regulations. Researchers who find sensitive personal information, including but not limited to social security numbers and student records, in any collection should notify a staff member.

Research Services Policy Regarding Access to Unprocessed Collections

Researchers requesting access to unprocessed collections should direct their requests to Research Services, a unit of the Special Collections Division. Upon receiving a request to access an unprocessed collection, a Research Services staff member will work with you to identify boxes to be screened. Special Collections provides up to 1.5 hours of screening activities* AND research assistance per semester. If access has been granted, researchers are welcome to review the materials in the Special Collections reading room or request up to 450 pages of access copies. Special Collections staff will clear a box or container for access if:

• There are no restricted materials present in the requested portion of the collection or the restricted material can be safely and reasonably removed,
• There are no environmental or human health hazards present in the requested portion of the collection,
• The materials are stable enough to be handled

To learn more about requesting access to unprocessed collections, please check out the Access to Unprocessed Collections Policy and Procedures or contact Research Services in Special Collections by calling 479-575-8444 or emailing us at specoll@uark.edu

Contact Information:
Phone: 479-575-8444
Email: specoll@uark.edu

Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a duplication order, if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.

Citing Materials

View our Citations Guide for examples of citations to our collections.

Notification of Intent to Publish

Special Collections provides permission to publish from our holdings when the University of Arkansas is the copyright holder. If the University of Arkansas is not the copyright holder, or if your use fall within the fair use limitations on copyright (§ 107, Title 17, United States Code), you do not need our permission as the holder of the physical materials to publish. If the University of Arkansas is not the rights holder for the requested materials, researchers are responsible for determining copyright status of materials intended for publication and securing applicable rights and permissions prior to publication.

Prior to publication in print or online, display, performance, or distribution, please complete and submit a Notification of Intent to Publish form. Special Collections staff will follow up with additional information about any rights Special Collections may hold.

All materials published from Special Collections holdings should contain the following credit: Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.

Your Special Collections Account Data

User information collected by the University of Arkansas Libraries and maintained indefinitely by its third-party vendor, Atlas Systems, is necessary to provide requested library and archival services. These include, but are not limited to: providing access to special collections materials, responding to reference and duplication requests, maintaining usage statistics, and providing for the security of our materials. In addition, we may be required to provide information to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request; to detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues; and to protect the rights, property or safety of the Libraries, its users, or others. We do not retain or store personal financial information, including credit card or other payment transaction information.