We welcome students, faculty, visiting researchers, and members of the community to explore our collections. Materials can be accessed onsite by appointment and we provide limited duplication services.

Need help? If you have any questions regarding researcher accounts, appointments, or our collections, please contact us at special.collections@umich.edu.

Register as a researcher

You must create a Special Collections Request Account to request materials for use onsite, make appointments, and submit requests for duplication. The account allows you to submit and track requests, as well as access details about past requests.

• Students, faculty, and staff: Use your U-M credentials.
• Guests: Register and create an account.

Information collected with the use of a Special Collections Request Account may be retained indefinitely and will not be shared unless required by law.

Find materials

Our collections include a number of rare books, manuscripts, ephemera, and other archival materials. If you are new to this type of research, check out our general overview of finding special collections and archival materials. 

For searching Special Collections Research Center materials specifically, you can start with our:

• Materials in Library Catalog Search
• Finding Aids 

Use materials in the reading room

Onsite access to collection materials in our reading room is available by appointment.

Be sure to plan ahead. Requests and appointments must be made at least 10 days in advance of your planned visit.

Request duplication of materials

We provide free duplication of up to 75 pages per 4-month period. Requests are evaluated and fulfilled based on material format, physical condition, and any applicable restrictions.

Straightforward requests for basic-quality images (400 dpi) typically take 4-6 weeks to process.

Let us know about your collection use 

If you require permission to publish or reproduce materials per your repository or publisher, fill out our planned use form and we’ll be in touch. You’re also welcome to use the form to let us know about a planned use even if you don’t need permission. We’re always eager to hear about how you’re using our collections!

Citing our materials

Complete citations will vary in content and format according to the material being used, but all captions, citations, and other credits should be made to the University of Michigan Library (Special Collections Research Center).

Please include collection names if you’ve used materials from the Labadie Collection or the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive:

• University of Michigan Library (Special Collections Research Center, Joseph A. Labadie Collection)
• University of Michigan Library (Special Collections Research Center, Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive)