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Special Collections & Archives Guide

Learn how to access, use and experiment with primary resources in the learning laboratory!

Fall 2020 Appointments for ODU Community

Starting August 31, 2020 Special Collections and University Archives in the Perry Library and Diehn Composers Room will reopen for onsite research appointments for current Old Dominion faculty, students, and staff. We are accepting appointment requests for Mondays-Thursdays between 10:00am – 4:00pm and require two business days’ notice. Please email us at libspecialcollections@odu.edu with requests for appointments, virtual research help, and any other questions. 

At this time, we are unable to accept onsite researchers from outside of the Old Dominion University academic community to protect the health and safety of our campus. As feasible, we will conduct remote research and digitize materials for both ODU and outside researchers with priority given to internal ODU requests.

You can browse and search our digital collections online: https://dc.lib.odu.edu/ 

  • You must wear a face covering at all times and maintain adequate social distancing of six feet. Library staff must also wear a face covering and maintain social distance.
  • You must wash your hands in the bathroom before your appointment. Hand sanitizer may not be used before the appointment. There is a hand sanitizer station outside of the Reading Room that can be used after your appointment.
  • The front door of the Reading Room will be locked; staff will unlock the door for you once you arrive.
  • You will be asked to place your personal items (including bags and outerwear) in the provided sanitized tub
  • Requested boxes and items will be staged for you before your appointment. You must tell Library staff in advance which specific archival boxes, rare books, or artifacts you will need for your appointment. Staff cannot pull additional materials for you during the appointment.
  • You will be provided an individual “Research Kit” containing the items and forms you will need during your appointment
  • Be sure to bring a camera, smart phone, or other electronic device with a camera  to take pictures of materials
  • If staff are required to leave the Reading Room for any reason, you will be instructed to wait outside the department
  • Staff will clean and disinfect the designated research desk before and after your appointment
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