Prepare for your Visit: Home

Out of concern for the health of our patrons and staff, the Archives and Special Collections research room is currently open by appointment only. UL ID holders may make appointments Tuesday-Friday, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Community researchers may make appointments for Wednesdays, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Please see below for instructions on setting up an appointment.

We encourage all researchers to contact us for virtual reference. We can be reached by email (archives@louisville.edu) or telephone (502-852-6752) and are happy to help.

Please follow these steps in setting up and preparing for your appointment:

1. Search our online catalog and Popular Topics guides to identify materials for research. Some of our materials are not cataloged, but this is a good starting place. If you are new to archival research or our catalog, our Getting Started with Archival Research page may be helpful. 
2. • UL ID holders: Schedule an appointment using our online system. We set up appointments in 50-minute segments to allow us to clean between researchers, but we are happy to make more than one appointment in order to give yourself enough time to do your research. Appointments must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Since for your protection only 3 researchers may be in the research room at a time, we advise you to book as far in advance as possible to ensure that an appointment is available. The system allows booking up to 1 month in advance.
   • Community researchers: Schedule an appointment by emailing our reference appointment coordinator (ascrefA@louisville.edu). We set up appointments in 50-minute segments to allow us to clean between researchers, but we are happy to make more than one appointment in order to give yourself enough time to do your research. Appointments must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Since for your protection only 3 researchers may be in the research room at a time, we advise you to book as far in advance as possible to ensure that an appointment is available.
3. Register as a researcher and familiarize yourself with our use and personal digital camera policies.
4. If you have identified any specific collection materials you would like to access during your visit, you can request them as part of the registration process.
5. Talk with us about your research question. We will reach out to you by email before your appointment to explore your question, so please watch for an email from ascrefA@louisville.edu. This will enable us to pull the materials you need before you arrive, saving you time and reducing face to face interaction.

In order to ensure the health and safety of our researchers and staff, the following policies and procedures will be in place for the use of the Archives & Special Collections research room:

1. If you are fully vaccinated, you are not required to wear a mask in our research room. 
2. You must show an ID.
3. We will assign you a locker for personal items that are not permitted in the research room.
4. Staff will be on hand to help you safely handle collection materials and answer any questions.