SCUA Frequently Asked Questions:

Researchers do not need to make an appointment ahead of time to use the collections. However, we strongly recommend that out-of-town researchers or researchers working on time-sensitive projects contact Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives a week prior to their visit. The staff can assemble materials in advance of your scheduled visit.

Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives is located in the Walter Clinton Jackson Library on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Driving Directions and Parking.

Once you are on campus, you can reach Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives by walking to Jackson Library. You can enter Jackson Library through the main entrance facing College Avenue, or the Elliott University Center Connector if you are approaching from the direction of Aycock Street.

Our Reading Room is located on the second floor of the Library’s main building. To reach this area, take the main stairwell near the College Avenue entrance, or use the elevator located off the main lobby. If you have questions, feel free to ask at the Circulation or Reference desks, and someone will direct you to the Hodges Reading Room.

The closest parking option for visiting researchers is the Walker Avenue Parking Deck. Information on parking can be found on the University’s Parking Operations & Campus Access Management Web site. Driving Directions and Parking.

Unlike other areas of the Jackson Library Building, the Hodges Reading Room does not allow visitors to bring food or drink into the research space. Many of the items in our collections are fragile and irreplaceable.

All instructors who want to schedule a tour or instructional workshop need to make an appointment in advance by contacting the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives. Staff will work closely with the instructor to tailor a workshop to meet the learning goals of the class. You can submit a request to staff at [email protected].

Our materials are non-circulating. This means they can only be used in our Reading Room during our department’s hours of operation. This rule applies to all researchers, including University faculty and staff.

While you do not need a UNCG library card in order to use the collection, you will need to supply an official form of photo identification (such as a driver’s license). In order to make your research more efficient, it is recommended that you visit the Library’s online catalog before visiting in person. Once you decide what materials you are interested in viewing, you will be asked to fill out a request form in order for one of our staff members to retrieve the materials.

When using the collections, we ask that you stow away your belongings with the exception of pencils, paper, and laptop computers. Please be respectful of the collection items, since many of the materials are fragile and require special handling. A staff member will inform you if any of the materials require special handling or have specific restrictions regarding reproduction and copyright. We ask that you do not mark or manipulate the materials in any way, and that you please keep them in their original order. For more detailed information about conducting research, please refer to our Reading Room policies in the Using the Collections section. We also encourage researchers to contact us directly with their questions. You can submit your questions to the staff at: [email protected].

Researchers can bring a laptop into the Reading Room while conducting research and wireless access to the Internet is available. Hand-held personal digital cameras may also be used to make reference copies. For security and preservation reasons, handheld or flatbed scanners are not permitted in the Reading Room.

All scanning, photocopying, and digital photo requests must be approved by the Reading Room staff. Staff will consider requests for reproductions of materials when such duplications can be done without injury to the material and when duplications do not violate donor agreements or copyright laws. Please refer to our Reproduction Policies and Procedures for more information regarding reproductions of archival materials and for appropriate forms needed to make a reproduction request.

Due to the limitations of staff time and resources, Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives is not able to conduct extensive research for remote users. Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact staff to discuss their research request. Staff will try to accommodate all reasonable research requests.

If a researcher’s request far exceeds the department’s resources, the researcher may consider contacting the graduate programs in History and in Library Science at UNCG to hire a graduate student to conduct research for them. Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives is not responsible for the selection or hiring of such researchers. For the hiring of a professional researcher, all arrangements and responsibilities reside between the patron and the hired researcher.

If you are interested in donating materials to the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, please go to the department’s Donation page for detailed information.

The staff of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives is not permitted to furnish appraisals.

If you are interested in a volunteer position, please call Kathelene Smith at 336-336-5648 or email her at [email protected]. We accept a limited number of volunteers on a case-by-case basis. Volunteers must be able to work a minimum of one 3-hour shift during our normal operating hours, Monday-Friday between 9am-4pm.