Here at the University of Idaho’s Special Collections and Archives, we have a Reading Room available for patrons and researchers (whether they be students, faculty, or independent researchers) to access and scour through our specialized collections on the history and culture of Idaho and the University of Idaho. Since archival materials are non-circulating, researchers may view these materials in our Reading Room during open hours or by appointment.
The Reading Room is located on the first floor of the library next to the Studio and computer lab. In the Reading Room, you will always be greeted by friendly student employees and Special Collections staff.
The Reading Room has maintained a welcoming and comfortable environment that has served many researchers and visitors over the years. Many patrons likely return not only for the document and photograph collections, but also for the well-designed workspace, featuring comfortable seating and spacious tables that support productive research.
Additional resources are available within the Reading Room to support research activities. The facility provides computer workstations for patron use, enabling access to research materials and searching collections through Archives West, our web-based catalog system, which is used to locate archival materials. Digital scanning equipment is also available for documents, negatives, and photographs. Patrons are requested to provide a personal USB drive or valid university credentials for file transfer purposes.
Other technology resources available for patrons include the Library’s new listening station, a television with VCR and DVD players, and a cassette player. We even have floppy disk readers available upon request.
The Reading Room contains many historical resources related to the University, the state of Idaho, and the local area. Historical directories and catalogs of previous academic years at the university are available, as well as many Gem of the Mountains yearbooks and local phone books. These materials do not require an appointment to view, but we suggest you view them during open hours or make an appointment if you are unable to come in during those times.
How to prepare for your research appointment:
Although walk-in visits are permitted, researchers are strongly encouraged to contact our office in advance to schedule an appointment. Advance scheduling not only ensures staff availability to assist with research inquiries, but also enables our archivists to retrieve requested materials and prepare them for immediate access upon arrival.
To set up a research appointment, please email libspec@uidaho.edu. Including the following information is appreciated:
- Name and email
- Topic of research
- Collection(s) of interest. Please include collection numbers, which are usually marked with MG, UG, or PG and followed by a number, and their title, . If possible, include links to where you’ve identified the collection online. Including box numbers, when applicable, will help with this process!
- Preferred days and times for a visit
We ask for at least 48 hours notice so we may do any preparatory searching and retrieving in advance.
When you arrive for your appointment, we have cabinets and cubbies available to store your personal belongings such as back-packs and jackets. During your appointment, we ask that noise be kept to a minimum and to keep your food and drink outside of the room or in a cubby.
Rules of the Reading Room:
We have a few rules that need to be followed to ensure the safety and preservation of collections as well as the quality of the experience for patrons.
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Materials must be handled with extreme care to ensure their preservation.
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In most cases, we allow only six boxes of materials per visit.
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Make sure to turn pages carefully, make no marks on the materials, rest no books or other objects on the face or surface of items used.
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In order to ensure researchers are able to accurately find materials that they request, materials need to be kept in the order that they are archived in. Use care to preserve the order of the materials in a box. Mixing up papers and folders is detrimental to collections. Ask for “outcards” – paper slips used like bookmarks – from staff if needed.
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If a folder is misplaced or lost, it makes it difficult for future researchers and our staff to find them again, so please maintain the order that you find the materials in.
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Before leaving, please straighten all papers and folders inside the boxes. Return all materials to staff. Archival materials are not to leave the Reading Room for any reason.
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Laptops, notebooks, and pencils are allowed at research tables. Pens are NOT allowed.
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Please take cell phone calls outside of the Reading Room.
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Personal cell phones with cameras, digital cameras, and scanners are permitted with staff approval. Some materials may be restricted, so please check with staff to confirm the accessibility of the materials.
Reproduction Requests
Digitization requests are available for large volumes of materials that you cannot get to during your visit. Reproduction requests that total less than 25 pages, require a low resolution for scanning, are easily handled in a flatbed scanner, and are in stable condition should be provided at no charge. Items that are bound may require equipment not immediately available in Special Collections and Archives and may delay fulfillment of a request.
When a reproduction request exceeds the parameters listed above, it may be appropriate to assess a reproduction fee of $25 for each additional half-hour increment. Examples of reproduction requests that may necessitate a fee include scanning very large or fragile items, duplicating audio or video materials, or scanning numerous photograph negatives.
Please read over our policies here for more information. Special Collections Policies
Whether you want to read through the Gem of the Mountains yearbooks, look through the Barnard Stockbridge Photograph collection, or any other collections in our repository, we are here to help you with your research needs. You will find that our friendly and helpful staff, the comfortable atmosphere, and our in-house resources will make your visit to the Reading Room a pleasant one.
Please read through our website, Special Collections Home Page , for the updated hours of the Reading Room, as our hours change during the summer and academic year.
Contact libspec@uidaho.edu for questions or to schedule an appointment.