Access, Reference, and Additional Information

Welcome to the information page for Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. This quick reference page includes information regarding research assistance and in-person appointments, instructional activities and research consultations, donations and records transfers, and other important information.

Upcoming Closure Dates

Archives and Special Collections is closed the following date(s):

• May 6, 2024 - August 16, 2024 (Facilities Renovation)

Research Assistance

Archives and Special Collections provides on-site and virtual research assistance to Purdue University faculty, staff, students, and the general public. For all information requests, email archives@purdue.edu. A staff member will assist you.

Appointments

The information below includes step-by-step instructions for requesting an in-person research visit.

Availability

• ​Appointments are available to members of the Purdue community and general public.
• ​Appointments are strongly recommended at least 48 hours in advance to ensure availability of collections.
• During the Fall and Spring semester appointments are available between 10:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday.
• Hours may change during the summer months or under special circumstances. Visit the Purdue University Libraries hours page for date-specific hours.

Request Process

• All researchers must register with Archives and Special Collections to enable efficient processing of your appointment requests. Visit our researcher services site to register.
• To request an appointment, email archives@purdue.edu. Include your name, list of collections and boxes you wish to view, and your desired appointment date and time. If you are requesting these items as part of a Purdue University course, please indicate the course number and title in your message as well.
• Archives and Special Collections will confirm an appointment date, time, and materials to be accessed during the research visit.

Classroom Instruction and Research Consultations

Archivists are available for in-person and remote instructional activities or research consultations. For more information visit our class visits and instruction page.

Donations and Transfers to Archives and Special Collections

Archives and Special Collections welcomes donations by individuals and records transfers by Purdue University departments in order to preserve the history of Purdue University. For more information about the types of materials that can be donated or transferred visit https://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/transfer. Email archives@purdue.edu if you wish to initiate a donation or transfer, and an archivist will be happy to speak with you.

Additional Information

• Exhibits: Visit https://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/exhibits to learn more about current and upcoming exhibits and view online exhibitions.
• Reproductions and Permissions to Publish Requests: Archives and Special Collections provides high-resolution digitization and permissions-to-publish agreements for collection materials. For more information visit https://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/digital-reproduction-requests.
• Resources: The full listing of all Archives and Special Collections holdings is available at https://archives.lib.purdue.edu. Digital and digitized collections are available at https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu.