Archives and Special Collections

The Hood Archives and Special Collections are located on the second floor of the Beneficial-Hodson Library and Learning Commons. Hours are by appointment with the archivist, Mary Atwell. Appointments are made between 8:30am and 4:30pm weekly, when the library is open, but special arrangement can be made for evening or weekend hours.

• Room 2028 - Reading Room, where research takes place
• Room 2029 - Processing Room, where archival processing work is completed
• Room 2030 - restricted, archival storage

Faculty, Students, and Staff:

Researchers on campus are encouraged to contact the archivist at least 24 hours prior to arrival. Class visits - students do not need fully-fleshed topics before doing archival research but understanding the assignment prior to the visit will help the archivist to pull relevant materials in preparation for the session.

Alumnae or Public Researchers:

Alumnae researchers and public patrons are welcome to the archives with prior arrangement with the archivist. Please note that access some collections or materials may be restricted at the discretion of the archivist, as Hood is a private institution. Decisions on restrictions are not made according to race, gender, ethnicity, or other attributes of the researchers, rather they are made solely on restrictions made to the collections or objects.

Remote Research:

Please contact the archivist or other library staff with research requests or use the research request form. Public patrons, please expect at least a 24-hour turnaround for responses. There is no charge for research requests, but requests for large scale scanning may require a nominal fee or they may be rejected if staffing doesn't allow it.

The following rules are applicable to Hood's archival spaces, but they are also general guidelines for using any archival or cultural space for research. Archival materials come in many formats - paper, film, slides, negatives, 3-dim.objects - and are handled using different techniques, yet all with care.

Food and Drink:

Food, drink, and gum are not permitted in the Reading Room, but most areas of the library allow drinks; researchers are free to leave the reading room and snack elsewhere in the library.

Before Handling Materials:

• hands must be washed prior to working with the collections; rest rooms are available on the same floor near the elevator
• laptop cases, purses, or bags must be secured by the archivist or stored in the first floor lockers
• pens and large binders are prohibited; all writing must be done with pencil (provided)
• coats and hats will be secured by a staff member

Handling Materials:

• all materials must be handled with extreme care; many items are brittle and sensitive to touch
• gloves will be provided for use according to the archivist's discretion
• materials must be kept in the order in which they are stored
• one folder and/or box may be reviewed at a time
• cell phones should be silenced but earbuds and headphones are permitted
• archivist reserves the right to limit or restrict access to anyone who demonstrates a lack of care or disregard for the rules
• materials are selected from the archives storage space by the archivist, with input from the researcher
• access to the storage room is restricted to library staff