University of Baltimore Special Collections and Archives is open to the public and strives to provide the best possible free access and reference service to students, scholars, community researchers and the general public, while maintaining secure conditions for the preservation of our archival collections. Researchers will experience equality of access to research material and all related services without discrimination in any form.
Special Collections and Archives maintains both online and onsite reference services
to meet the needs of researchers. Access to online resources is available 24/7, and
Archives staff provide remote reference services weekdays 9 am to 5 pm. Onsite research
appointments are available Monday through Thursday by appointment only. Researchers
must request an appointment at least 48 hours in advance.
Researchers can expect that chat, phone, and email questions will receive an initial response within 24 hours, preferably the same business day. For those researchers unable to visit in person, Archives staff will provide up to 60 minutes of research free of charge, as well as fulfill Scan on Demand electronic document delivery requests. Please contact the department for more information.
The use of a self-service scanner is freely available in the Research Room. Similarly, most Scan on Demand electronic document delivery requests can be fulfilled by Archives staff free of charge. If specialized scanning or digital reproduction requires external vendors, the researcher will be required to pay for these services. Photocopies onsite are unavailable, as the department does not have a photocopy machine. Printing from campus computers is only available to UBalt students, faculty, and staff.
Special Collections and Archives materials can be viewed either in the Research Room or online, if digitized versions of material exist. Researchers may request the scanning of archival folders through our Scan on Demand program. Access to some material may be limited by donor restrictions, privacy concerns, legal requirements and/or the physical condition of the material. For more information on restrictions, please see our Restrictions Policy.
Researchers will be granted access to all unrestricted materials in accordance with the rules and policies of the UBalt Special Collections and Archives. Researchers using archival collection materials, including processed and unprocessed collections, may come into contact with items that contain sensitive information about individuals and/or organizations, and must understand and agree not to copy, publish, present, disseminate, or convey this information to anyone by any means. (Examples of sensitive information include, but are not limited to, social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, health records, legal records, financial information, etc.) When researchers find any sensitive information during their research or are unsure if information they have found is private or sensitive, they agree to request that the Research Room attendant assist them.
Photographing collection material is allowed without using a flash. Department staff may require that gloves be worn when handling some fragile or easily damaged materials. Please keep all materials in the original boxes, folders and order in which they were received. Pencils and laptops may be used for note taking. Food and beverages of any type, including water, are not allowed in the Research Room. On arrival at the Research Room, please check-in with Archives staff and leave all belongings except camera, notebook and laptops in the secure lockers located in the hallway. Special Collections and Archives cannot be held accountable for lost or stolen items. Theft or mutilation of materials will result in legal prosecution. Accidentally damaged materials will result in charges for repair, restoration, or replacement.
Original archival material from the Baltimore Regional Studies Archives is ineligible
for loan, except to collection donors. Loans from the University of Baltimore Archives
will be considered for museums, qualified galleries, and academic institutions for
temporary exhibitions. Such loans will be considered for material from the Institutional
Records program only. Please refer to the University Archives Loan Policy for more information.