Research Policies and Procedures

ACCESS. 10:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday - Friday. SC&A is open between academic terms but closed during holidays. Communicating ahead of time is always a good idea:

TEL 703-993-2220
E-Mail speccoll@gmu.edu
FAX 703-993-8911

INTERVIEW STATEMENT. Researchers with stated goals are welcome to use the collection. They are required to fill out and sign a Research Interview Statement (RIS) form, which indicates the researcher's knowledge of and agreement with SC&A's policies and procedures. Researchers will not have access to original or copied SC&A materials until completing the RIS form.

USE OF COLLECTIONS. All researchers are required to complete and sign a Document Request Form (DRF) when requesting materials. The number of items provided researchers at any one time may kept to a minimum. Fragile or rare materials may be used one at a time.

Researchers are asked not to remove cards from catalogs nor sheets from inventories. Please do not take notes on top of materials.

PLEASE NOTE: Use of materials in SC&A requires time and patience. Special Collections research demands more time than secondary source research because of the nature of the orginial materials and the care required in handling them. Archival materials are more rare than secondary source materials and are often fragile and irreplaceable. Researchers are asked to take the time to show extra special care and respect when using these materials.

All materials must be used in SC&A's reading room. They should be returned to the service desk where staff checks for damaged or missing items. DRFs will be cancelled to indicate return of materials.

Only pencils may be used in SC&A's reading room. Lockers are available for coats, back packs, etc.

Food and drink are not allowed in SC&A.

CITATIONS. Publication, broadcast, or exhibition of SC&A materials requires the following citation:

__________ Collection, Special Collections & Archives, George Mason University Libraries.

Researchers are asked to donate a copy of their publications for SC&A's Reference Collection or Information File.