Reading Room Guidelines for Archives and Special Collections
Archival materials and special collections, by their very nature, are unique and irreplaceable. To ensure that materials are not damaged, lost or removed, please adhere to these simple guidelines while in the Reading Room.
Access and Requests
Materials are housed in secure storage vaults that are only accessible to Archives staff. While items can’t be put on hold or checked out, they can be viewed in the Archives Reading Room by appointment during Reading Room hours. Please contact us at archives@macewan.ca to arrange your visit, indicating the specific items required to allow staff time to pull materials before your arrival.
Personal Belongings
Coats, bags, umbrellas, and backpacks must be hung up.
Eating or Drinking
No food or beverage of any kind (regardless of container) may be consumed in the Reading Room.
Handling Material
Please respect the fragile nature of the materials by following the handling directions of Archives staff. Use only pencils to take notes or a laptop/tablet. No pens are allowed. Tracing is not permitted.
Permissions and Reproduction
Use of archives and special collections materials must be aligned with rights and responsibilities outlined in the Copyright Act and MacEwan Copyright Guidelines. Use of certain archival materials may be subject to donor restrictions.
Self-service copying is not available. Archives staff will work with researchers regarding the reproduction of records. Requests for photocopying of textual materials or the scanning of photographic materials will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be authorized if there are no access or use restrictions (privacy-protection legislation, copyright law or donor agreements) and if the records are physically able to withstand copying.
The Archives will conduct a limited amount of copying on behalf of researchers, and reasonable fees will be charged for this service.
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras are allowed in the Reading Room. You may not use tripods, scanners, camera flashes, or special lighting. As with photocopying, reproduction of material may be subject to privacy-protection legislation, copyright law or donor agreements. Photos may be taken only for the personal use of the researcher.
Acknowledgement of the Archives
Keep detailed notes of the sources you consulted. Archival or special collections sources should be acknowledged in all publications or presentations. A full citation should include the name of the archives, a title or description of the item, date, format, accession number, box and file number. You may also choose to simply credit the archives using the following format:
MacEwan University Archives, Accession No._______
Public Access Computer
The public access station in the Reading Room is for accessing the Library catalogue and conducting archival or special collections research only.