Yes! We request that you Make an Appointment after reviewing our Finding Aids and Searching Rare Books in order to identify materials that support your research needs. This allows us to pre-pull materials before you visit and help you identify other sources to review.

Due to the rarity, condition, and value of our collections and books, they do not circulate but may be accessed in our reading room.

In order to preserve our unique collections for future generations, eating, drinking, and use of tobacco products are strictly prohibited.

Yes! we encourage all of our researchers to bring their laptops. UTC students, faculty, and staff may check out laptops at the UTC Library Check Out Desk.

Campus wireless access for personal devices is administered through the UTC Information Technology Division and is available to current UTC students, staff and faculty. More information, including details about using eduroam is available on Wireless Networks at UTC. If you have any questions, please contact the UTC Computer Help Desk at (423) 425-4000.

Visiting scholars are encouraged to use eduroam, a secure, world-wide WiFi service intended for education and research communities. Check with your home institution to see if this is an option for you before visiting Special Collections.

Onsite researchers may use cameras, phones, tablets and other equipment to photograph material for study purposes. Portable scanners and other digital imaging equipment must be approved by our staff prior to use. Cameras are available for check out by UTC students, faculty, and staff from the Library's Studio. 

Of course! We welcome all researchers. View our Hours and Location for more information about visiting us, including directions and parking information.

Special Collections offers one hour of research and reference services to distance researchers. In-depth research requires a personal visit. If you are not able to visit Special Collections to conduct research in person, you may consider hiring a student or professional who can conduct research on your behalf. Researchers are encouraged to use digital cameras, scanning apps, and other tools to make copies of our resources for personal use.

Yes. Upon request, Special Collections may recommend a UTC student to perform research on your behalf. These researchers are not employed by or accredited by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Special Collections is not able to answer questions about their availability, services, or charges.

Special Collections will make up to 25 digital copies of documents, items, or pages from our collections for your personal research use.

You are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials you may wish to use, to investigate the owner of the copyright, and to obtain permission for your intended use. More information regarding your rights and responsibilities is available on Permissions and Copyright. 

Once your digital copies are ready, we will send you a link from which you will be able to download copies to your own computer.

We do not provide print copy services.

Finding aids are detailed inventories, registers, indexes, and guides to describe collections of primary source materials. They provide a comprehensive overview of a collection's scope and contents. Additionally, they define the conditions under which a collection may be accessed or copied, explain its provenance, and contain histories of individuals and organizations connected with the collection.

You should use our Finding Aids to identify which files or items in a collection will be most useful. Be sure to record the Physical Storage Information for the material you would like to see, and ask staff in Special Collections to pull the box for you to enjoy in our reading room using our Make an Appointment form. For example, if you wanted to view the Chickamauga Dam and Wilkes T. Thrasher Bridge correspondence and records from the Marilyn Lloyd papers collection, you would request box MS-025 053.

Visit our finding aids. Enter search terms, conduct an advanced search, or browse by collection title, subject, or name.

Record the corresponding Physical Storage Information for the material you would like to see, and ask staff in Special Collections to pull the box for you to enjoy in our reading room using our Make an Appointment form. For example, if you wanted to view the Chickamauga Dam and Wilkes T. Thrasher Bridge correspondence and records from the Marilyn Lloyd papers collection, you would request box MS-025 053.

Like most archival repositories, we have a backlog of unprocessed collections that are not described in a finding aid. We have finding aids for many of our collections, and we are striving to have all of our finding aids online as soon as possible. If you are conducting research on topics related to the University Archives or Chattanooga History Collections, and are unable to find relevant content in our Rare Books, Digital Collections, CHC Online, or Finding Aids, use our Ask an Archivist service to inquire if we have materials related to your research topic.