Earl K. Long Library Louisiana and Special Collections

Requesting Materials from the Collections

A "Researcher Form" must be filled out when requesting Special Collections materials. These forms can be found on the front counter of the Louisiana Collection Reading Room. One form must be filled out per day for each unique visit to the Louisiana and Special Collections Reading Room, regardless of whether or not the same materials are being requested. These forms are kept on record, but your personal information will not be shared or revealed to any non-departmental staff, except as required by law. Upon completion of the Researcher Form a staff member will retrieve the requested materials.

We understand that your time is valuable, and that travel to and from campus may be difficult. Patrons are encouraged to call or e-mail their requests ahead of time, along with their approximate time of arrival, and we will do our best to locate and hold the requested materials in advance. Requests made in person may not be filled immediately and the patron may need to return on a pre-arranged date to view the requested material.

Using Materials from the Collections

It is the goal of Louisiana and Special Collections' staff to make materials accessible to researchers in a timely manner while also preserving those same materials for subsequent generations. To this end, several rules for the use of manuscript collections exist that are not intended to impede or constrain researchers, but to protect the materials in a way that will guarantee their availability for many decades to come.

Louisiana and Special Collections materials may not be checked out or removed from the Reading Room. This includes any items from the manuscript collections, vertical files, books and periodicals from the Louisiana Collection "open" stacks, and items from the reference shelves. UNO theses and dissertations are the only exception to this rule and may be checked out by university students and faculty. Please consult a staff member if you are unsure if an item is a UNO thesis or dissertation.

Food or beverages are not permitted in the Reading Room. Please make an effort to thoroughly wash and dry your hands before handling Louisiana and Special Collections materials. We also ask that patrons use only pencils when working in the Louisiana Collection Reading Room. Please leave any pens, markers, or other permanent writing implements capped and inside your belongings. Lockers are available for the storage of any large bags, briefcases, backpacks, purses, or similar items.

Flash photography of Louisiana and Special Collections manuscript materials is prohibited. Non-flash photography is allowed on a limited basis. The copying of materials from manuscript collections must be handled by department staff. Request Forms for scans or photocopies can be found on the front counter of the Reading Room.