Special collections special handling guidelines                      

The Center's collections of historically significant materials exist for one reason: to make the rare documents and books in our care available to researchers like yourself.  The collections are available for use without fee by students, faculty and staff of the College, and members of the public. We constantly juggle two considerations here: access and preservation. Your adherence to these guidelines will help us to preserve the collections for future use by you and others in generations to come.

1. All users of special collections (everything except the Center's books and its circulating videotapes) must register, showing positive current photo identification and signing the user log daily.
2. Personal belongings are to be kept separate from the research area.  To maintain a quiet environment, and out of respect for other researchers, please place your cellular phone with your other belongings, outside of the research area.
3. Due to preservation concerns, food, drink, and smoking are not permitted in the research area.
4. Records must be kept in their present arrangement; loose pages will stay in order if turned like pages in a book.
5. Please only use one folder of materials at a time.
6. To preserve the originals for future use, please make no marks or erasures or other changes in the records. Users will be required to wear gloves (supplied by the Center) while handling photos and some other materials.
7. Do not insert paper, sticky note papers (Post-it notes), or paper clips as these will damage the materials. To mark documents, use archival papers provided by the Center.
8. Due to the risk of inadvertent damage to documents, use of ink is prohibited; please take notes in pencil.
9. Theft, destruction or mutilation of the materials is a crime (Colorado Revised Statutes §24-90-117). Users will report to Center staff any damage observed in the materials.
10. In an emergency, staff will issue procedures to those present at that time.
11. Special collections materials may not circulate; they must stay at the Center.
12. Photocopying is permitted, if it is in accordance with donor agreements and copyright restrictions, unless the item is fragile, exceptionally valuable, or too large. When allowed, it is limited to single copies for the user's reference use only. Ask the research room attendant for assistance.
13. These materials are provided for reference use only. The user agrees to publish no portion of them without the written permission of the Center, and assumes sole responsibility for any infringement of the literary rights, copyrights, or other rights which pertain to these materials.
14. The user agrees to give the Center a complimentary copy of any publication relying heavily on its collections.
15. Citations should follow this format: identification of item, name of collection, Center of Southwest Studies, Fort Lewis College.
16. The Center of Southwest Studies wishes to provide its collections for use in every way consistent with good scholarship, productive research, and archival preservation.

Information for doing research at the Center of Southwest Studies

Special collections holdings maintenance guidelines

Center of Southwest Studies