213 Andersen Library
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Fax: 612-625-5525

Barbara A. Bezat, Assistant to the Curator
Phone: 612-625-3550
E-mail: b-beza@umn.edu

Manuscripts Reference E-mail
mssref@umn.edu

Hours
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Exceptions are University Holidays

Policies and Procedures

The Northwest Architectural Archives materials are open to the University and the general public.
Researchers are strongly encouraged to notify the Archives in advance of a research visit.
Most of the materials from the collections are housed in the cavern storage area and are not readily accessible to drop-in visitors.
Researchers use the requested archives materials in the second floor reading room just across the hall from the office. On your first visit you will complete a patron registration form which we will maintain on file to document your visits and materials use.
There are lockers in the hallway for the placement of all bags, backpacks, coats and other paraphernalia. These lockers cost 25 cents, which is returned when the locker is opened to retrieve the contents.
There are no pens, backpacks, bags, etc. allowed in the reading room. You may use pencils and notepaper.

Photocopies
Staff of the Northwest Architectural Archives will photocopy materials for a fee. Although every effort is made to obtain archival materials without restrictions on use, some collections must be restricted due to the nature of the material, poor physical condition, or by donor agreement.

Doing Research in the Archives

Collections in the Northwest Architectural Archives may contain drawings, correspondence, memoranda, reports, financial records, scrapbooks, photographs, and newspaper clippings. Most of these materials are one-of-a-kind items which provide documentation of past events from the perspective of participants and first-hand observers.

Use of manuscript materials for research is a privilege that entails the agreement to respect certain conditions which relate to avoiding possible damage to unique, often fragile materials. Although natural deterioration of paper is unavoidable, we try to retard this process by eliminating all environmental conditions that have an adverse effect on paper storage life. This includes storage in an area free from fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels and limited exposure to ultraviolet rays. It also requires transferring the manuscripts into acid-free folders and boxes and removing rubber bands, scotch tape, metal fasteners and surface dirt.

The Northwest Architectural Archives--like virtually all manuscript repositories--does not lend collections or open them to casual browsing. We ask researchers to exercise care and common sense when handling manuscripts and other archival materials. Certain kinds of paper become brittle with age and tear easily, and all are weakened by the folding and crushing that results when items are carelessly jammed back into folders after use.

Please take care to maintain the sequence of items within a folder, of folders within a box. If you encounter items that are obviously out of order or in need of physical care, we would appreciate your calling them to our attention.

If you have any questions about any aspect of your research or the conditions under which it is carried out, please feel free to ask. We will be happy to help whenever possible.