Welcome to the Eberly Family Special Collections Library! We’re happy that you have an interest in our collections and we look forward to working with you during your research visit.
The Special Collections Library is a closed stacks library, meaning our rare and unique materials are stored in non-public areas and retrieved by staff. Materials do not circulate and must be used in our Reading Room. We accept research visits on a walk-in basis with no appointment required, whether or not you are affiliated with Penn State University!
If you are planning a visit from out of town, it can help to check in with the Research Services team (spcollections@psu.edu or 814-865-1793) in advance to avoid any unexpected delays.
- What to Expect in our Reading Room
- Registering and Requesting Materials
- What Can I Bring with Me?
- Using Materials
- Duplication Services
- Copyright
- Parking and On-Campus Transportation
- Where to Find Us
Enjoy the exhibit and then visit us in the Reading Room! We're right through the glass door!
What to Expect in Our Reading Room
To help preserve the collections for future use, we ask that researchers observe the following guidelines while engaging with original materials.
Need help? Staff are available to assist with navigating collections, handling materials, and discussing research strategies.
Registering and Requesting Materials
- All researchers must register in Aeon to use our materials or sit in the Reading Room.
- Materials are retrieved and prepared by staff and may require additional paging time depending on their location and/or condition.
- Most of our collections are stored offsite and may take 2-3 days for delivery to the Reading Room. Please make requests in advance to ensure that materials, if stored offsite, are available upon your arrival.
- Materials stored on-site will be pulled when you arrive.
- For more information on Aeon statuses that can help tell you the difference between offsite and onsite materials after you make your requests, please see our FAQ.
What Can I Bring with Me?
- Please finish food, snacks, and gum before you visit us. Covered beverages are allowed in one designated area.
- You may bring a pencil, notebook, and laptop, phone, or tablet with you into the Reading Room. Please leave your personal scanning devices and pens or markers at home.
- We do not allow bags, purses, or laptop cases in the Reading Room. You may use our lockers to stow your belongings while you are conducting research. Clear plastic bags to move your permitted items around our spaces are available if you need an extra hand.
Using Materials
- Research visits take place in a shared reading room environment designed to support focused work with rare and unique materials.
- Researchers may request multiple boxes, but only one box of archival material at a time may be in use at your desk. Similarly, we ask that you only take one folder out of the box at a time to maintain inventory order. You can find orange “out slips” for marking pulled folders from a box stationed throughout the Reading Room.
- Researchers may request multiple books at once, but use at your desk is limited to three books at a time.
- Some collections may have access restrictions due to preservation, privacy, or donor agreements.
- Need more than one visit to complete your research? Off-site materials may be placed on hold for up to one month before being reshelved, subject to space constraints.
Thank you for helping us to responsibly steward these materials under our care! These procedures help ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of materials while supporting meaningful hands-on research.
Duplication Services
- We have self-serve flatbed and book scanners that you may use free of charge, which scan documents and bound items up to 11x17 inches.
- Most microfilm formats can be read and scanned on our microfilm desktop station.
- Slides and negatives may be scanned (in lower resolutions) on our Kodak Slide N Scan. Please ask desk staff to use this equipment.
- You are welcome to use a camera without a flash.
- Please consult with the staff members at the Reference Desk before scanning to make sure that the material is stable enough to be scanned.
- For oversized items, A/V formats, high-resolution scans, or limited remote reference services, staff-assisted scanning is available at a modest cost-recovery fee. Please speak to our desk staff or reach out to spcollections@psu.edu for more information.
Copyright
Materials in Special Collections are subject to U.S. copyright law. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from the copyright holders to quote, cite, reproduce, or otherwise use collection materials. The copyright holder may be an individual or entity other than Penn State.
Parking and On-Campus Transportation
The closest Parking Garage is the Nittany Deck, a five-minute walk from the Library. You can find more information about other parking locations and how to park your vehicle on campus with Transportation Services. For on-campus transportation, look for the free campus shuttles, Loops, and Links from CATABUS.
Where to Find Us
We are located on the First Floor of the Paterno Library. If you enter from the Curtin Road entrance of the Library, head left and you’ll walk straight into our exhibit area. The doors on the other side of the exhibit room lead to the Reference Room and our friendly Special Collections staff!