The materials in Special Collections are non-circulating, meaning that for all general purposes they can only be accessed during the department's normal hours of operation. Most materials are currently unavailable online, so visiting the library in person may be the only way to access certain items. When possible, Special Collection staff can process some remote orders for digital reproductions and photocopies, but depending on the condition of the items, this may be impossible. For more information on reproductions, see the [Requesting Copies and Duplications] section of this page.
Special Collections is located on the second floor of Jackson Library on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. For more detailed directions see the maps under our About Us page. If you are new to our campus, maps of UNCG are provided on the UNCG home page. Parking information is also provided by UNCG Parking Services. A map to the library is available under the "About Us" section of our web page.
Due to the high usage of the Hodges Reading Room for events and classes, it may be important to check if there are any scheduled events during the time of your projected visit. And online calendar of Reading Room events is available, but always feel free to contact Special collections staff if you have any questions. In most cases, we can work with a researcher in order to relocated them during periods where our Reading Room is in use.
Special Collections uses the Hodges Reading Room in Jackson Library as the main contact point for it's researchers. Hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Due to the delicate nature of much of the material housed in our repository, the items in Special Collections are kept in a climate controlled area, and are not available for browsing by the general public. Unlike other areas in Jackson Library, no food and drink are allowed in the Hodges Reading Room. We recommend using the libraries online catalog and browsing our this web site in order to narrow your search before coming in person. If you still have more questions about items in our holdings or require further assistance, our staff will be glad to help you. If you call ahead, we may be able to place certain items on hold to make your visit more efficient.
When using the materials housed in Special Collections, it is not uncommon that you may encounter items in various states of deterioration. While we will do everything in our power to preserve materials in our care, some types of materials (such as certain varieties of paper) will inevitably deteriorate to a degree. This may make interpreting and using these materials more difficult. Furthermore, there is a chance that certain fragile materials may cary certain stipulations with their use, most commonly an inability to make photocopies from the originals [see Requesting Copies and Duplications]. In general, extra care should be taken when handling Special Collections' materials. If there are any other precautions on the use of materials, our staff will once again be glad to guide you through the proper usage processes.
Some typical issues found when using older materials include:
In most instances, Special Collections staff can make photocopies or scans from original materials. However, in instances where the original may be damaged, we reserve the right to prohibit reproduction of these materials. In general terms, no more than 10% of a collection can be photocopied. We will make photocopies and scans within ten (10) working days or sooner if possible. If you have special requests, we will do our best to accommodate you. For more information copyrighted materials, see the [Usage and Copyright] section.
A form is available online for requesting digital scans: Digital Reproduction Form (.pdf)
*It has been our experience that attaching images to e-mails does not work on many e-mail systems. It is our policy now to burn all images to a CD and mail the CD.
*Large orders will be charged higher fee
Payment for photocopying and scanning must be received before order will be shipped. Checks, postal money orders or money orders should be made payable to Jackson Library and sent to:
It is responsibility of the user to follow the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). More information can be obtained from the United States Copyright Office.
Original materials, reproductions, and online are made available by Special Collections for research usage only. Permission to publish must be obtained from the respective copyright holders.
Unless otherwise noted, all manuscript material should be cited as:
[Identification of item], [Name of Collection and Collection Number (if available)], Special Collections and Rare Books, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Guidelines for the citation of published materials can be found at the Chicago Manual of Style Online.
