Access to Collections
- Researchers who are currently affiliated with the University of Virginia or who have established borrowing privileges with the University Library are asked to provide staff with a name or identification number so staff can verify that he or she is in the patron database.
- Researchers not currently affiliated with the University of Virginia, are asked to fill out a brief form and show a photo I.D. (such as a driver's license, a passport, a University or employer's identification card)
- Researchers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult in our reading room. Children under the age of 10 are not permitted in the reading room.
- Only loose paper, pencils, and a laptop computer are permitted in the reading room. No bags, envelopes, folders, notebooks, tablets, or containers of any type are permitted. Personal materials used in the reading room may be searched when the researcher leaves.
- Lockers are provided to secure your belongings. Long-term visiting researchers may request a temporary locker assignment during their stay. Please contact Heather Moore Riser, Head of Public Services, at (434) 924-4966 or octavo@virginia.edu if you are interested in this program.
- Paper is provided by the department for researchers. Laptop computers and other mechanical research tools are permissible provided that their use does not disturb other researchers.
- Appointments must be made in advance to use media formats such as LPs, audiotapes, videotapes, films, CDs, and DVDs held by Special Collections. In most cases, materials must be reformatted before they can be accessed, sometimes at the researcher's expense. Please use our online reference request form to ask for further information or to schedule access to audio-visual materials. Access cannot be guaranteed unless prior arrangements have been made.
- The Special Collections library is currently rehousing and recataloging our extensive map collection. This may result in longer retrieval times for maps. If you are requesting map materials after 5pm on weeknights or on Saturdays, we may need to contact you once they are located. If you would like to request map materials in advance, please use our online reference request form.
- Wireless Internet http://www.itc.virginia.edu/wireless/home.html for more information.
