Make an Appointment
If you would like to view materials from an archives or special collections, it is always a good idea to set up an appointment ahead of time. Archives tend to have shorter hours than libraries or are available by appointment as few institutions, if any, allow use of materials when archives staff are not present in the reading room. At busier archives, reading rooms may be filled with researchers.
Contacting the Archives
Oftentimes, archival collections are discovered through a finding aid or a citation in a book. If you discover a collection through a finding aid, it will likely contain contact information to the archives holding the collection. It is a little known fact that archival description standards require the inclusion of contact information on finding aids (see the bottom of the following image). This information is often located near the top of the finding aid or in a tab containing other general information about the collection or archives.
If you locate a collection through a citation, a Google search will typically suffice. If you navigate to an archives’ webpage, look for a page or section that contains information about accessing collections. Such pages usually include information about the archives’ open hours as well as how to schedule an appointment. Some institutions have online scheduling systems, making scheduling fairly easy. Some institutions might require researchers to register for a card, in which case you should allow a few minutes for the application process.