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 Research Services Temporary 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

Using the Reading Room

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:

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.