FAQ

Some of the records in the Archives are described in the Library's online catalog, but many are not.  After you have read on the Archives' website the descriptions of the processed collections we have, and you decide you would like to look at some of them, you will need to come to the Archives in room 430 of the Willis Library Building and ask for them.  As space is limited in the Archives, we have stored many of the collections in off-site storage.  If you ask to see material that is in off-site storage, you will need to make a second trip to the Archives later to view those records, because Archives staff will have to have time to retrieve them for you. 

No, the vast majority of the Archives' collections are not on the internet.  Samples of photos from some of the collections have been digitized and are available for viewing on the Portal to Texas History at http://texashistory.unt.edu  But in order to conduct research in the Archives' collections, you will need to physically come to the Archives itself in room 430 of the Willis Library Building and ask for help.

It depends.  Visitors do not make their own copies in the Archives.  Archives staff will make copies for visitors and the cost of copies varies according to what material is being copied.  In some cases, copies cannot be made at all because the materials are too fragile. 

Because we have a small staff in the Archives, we cannot conduct research for others, if it requires significant time to do so.  We are happy to look for the answer to simple questions about the history of UNT or basic information about the collections in the Archives.   For example, we could quickly find the answer to a question like, "What year was UNT founded?"  But we would not be able to research for you the answer to a question like, "Could you look through the district Court Civil Case Papers, 1849-1900, for Cooke County, and find the one in which my relative was involved?"

The Archives is able to loan through Interlibrary Loan the microfilmed records we have for Denton, Montague, Wise, and Cooke Counties.  Because of the unique and irreplaceable nature of the rest of the collections. however, nothing else in the Archives can be loaned through Interlibrary Loan. 

Yes, you are welcome to bring your laptop computer to use in the Archives.  There is an electrical outlet under each of the library tables in the Archives' reading room, which were installed for the express use of researchers with laptop computers. 

Use of cell phones for conversations in the Library is generally discouraged except in specified areas.  But if you wish to use your cell phone or a camera to take a photo of something in the Archives' collection, you may do so if you do not use a flash and if you do not damage the material (such as flattening something fragile so that it cracks or breaks).  Please tell the Archives staff that you wish to take a photo so that we can assist you.

We welcome visitors to the Archives during our open hours and would be pleased if you stopped by.  But if you have a research project that you think will require that you spend several hours, or even days, in the Archives, please call us at (940) 565-2766 to arrange a time. The staff in the Archives is small and we may need to make special arrangements to be sure we are here to help you.  Also, if you request material that is stored off campus, we will need time to retrieve it for you. 

Yes, we can scan a photograph for you, if it is not copyrighted.  There will be a minimal charge for this service and if you use the photo in a class paper or a publication, we require that you include source information that cites the UNT Archives.