Dear Colleagues,

I would like to hear about your experiences of opening a library and archives collection to researchers after a period of closed access due to a move, renovations or other reasons.  The Library and Archives of the Autry has been closed to visiting researchers since late summer of 2015 as we prepped for and moved to our new facility, the Resources Center of the Autry. All collections were safely moved, but the Resources Center is not anticipated to open until 2019 and the Library and Archives collections remain closed to researchers (other than our annual summer research fellowship awards).

 

By policy, access to the Library and Archives collections is by appointment only and all potential researchers must submit an application for research. Appointments are made based on the relevancy and availability of our holdings, the condition of the materials identified, restrictions on access, including items designated as culturally sensitive, and staff availability. If you require appointments, at what point before opening did you start making researcher appointments? If you experienced a crush of researchers wanting to visit, how far ahead did you fill up your researcher calendar? If you do not require appointments, I am still interested in hearing from you. Any  lessons learned would be appreciated.

 

Thank you for your collective wisdom!

 

Marva Felchlin

Director, Libraries and Archives of the Autry

 

AUTRY MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN WEST

4700 Western Heritage Way

Los Angeles, CA 90027-1462

Direct: 747.201.8440

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

 

Go West: TheAutry.org

 

 

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