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Special Collections and Archives Division

This guide will welcome you to Special Collections and Archives and will cover the collections and their uses at the University of Texas-Dallas.

Handling Special Collections Materials

Handling Special Collections Materials

Due to the fragility, rarity, and unique nature of items in the Special Collections and Archives Division, specific procedures must be followed to ensure their preservation. These materials are housed in a dedicated Special Collections area to protect and maintain their accessibility for current and future researchers.

Our collections require specialized storage, careful handling, and security measures. We ask all researchers to participate in preserving our holdings by following our handling procedures. While we trust our patrons to handle materials with care, adherence to these guidelines is essential to maintain the integrity of our collections for future generations of researchers.

General Procedures

 

  1. Non-UTD visitors to the McDermott Library must register at the service desk on the 2nd floor (ground floor) and present a government ID with a photo. All visitors to the History of Aviation Archive, located in SP2, must present a photo ID. We ask that all visitors, online and in person, fill out a Research Request Form.
  2. Any personal property (coats, purses, hats, bags, backpacks, briefcases, research materials, etc.) will be stored in lockers in the department’s break room.
  3. All the materials must be handled with great care. Patrons who carelessly handle materials may be denied further access.
  4. Cell phone use is not permitted.
  5. Patrons are not permitted to do their own copying and/or scanning or using electronic devices of any kind – for example handheld scanners, tablets, cell phones, digital cameras, or other devices – that could be used for reproduction.
  6. Digital cameras, cell phone cameras, or other electronic devices may not be used to take pictures of the Special Collections exhibits without the permission of Special Collections staff.
  7. Patrons are asked to sit at the table properly. No feet are allowed on the tables, no sitting on the tables, no sleeping or lounging at the tables.
  8. No food, drink, tobacco, or gum is allowed in Special Collections.

To Glove or Not to Glove, That is the Question...

To Glove or Not to Glove?

You might be surprised to see researchers and staff handling rare materials without white gloves in Special Collections. While gloves are required for certain materials, clean, dry hands often provide better control and safer handling of archival documents.

Leading institutions like the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the National Archives support this evidence-based approach to materials handling. For more information about current best practices, explore these articles:

Image of someone in white cotton gloves holding a black and white photograph. There are stacks of photos and other materials.

In this image, a person demonstrates proper handling of black and white photographs while wearing cotton gloves.

When Are Gloves Required? Gloves are recommended in specific situations:

  • When handling photographs to prevent damage from skin oils
  • When working with materials that pose health risks, such as:
    • Items with visible mold growth
    • Historic books from the 1800s that may contain arsenic-based preservatives
    • Other materials that could be harmful to handlers

Image of someone's hands in white cotton gloves holding an old and deteriorated piece of paper.

This image shows someone wearing white cotton gloves while handling an archival document.

Why Clean Hands Are Often Better While this photo demonstrates gloved handling, current archival best practices often recommend clean, bare hands. Here's why:

  • Cotton gloves can catch on fragile, deteriorating materials
  • Gloves reduce tactile sensitivity when handling delicate pages
  • Clean, dry hands (free from lotions and oils) provide better control and safer handling
  • Direct contact with clean hands often poses less risk to archival materials than snagging or accidental tears from gloves