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Home arrow icon Research Tools arrow icon Other Collections arrow icon Arkansas Tech University Archives & Special Collections
The University Archives & Special Collections consists of rare, unique, and locally or regionally important materials housed in a restricted area within the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center.
University Archives
The University Archives contain unpublished materials, including photos, documents, negatives, media, and other material pertaining to the history of Arkansas Tech University and the surrounding area.
Special Collections
The Special Collections contain published materials, such as Arkansas Tech University theses and dissertations, yearbooks, course catalogs, budgets, and other commonly requested documents pertaining to the history of Arkansas Tech University. It also contains published materials about Arkansas and by Arkansans. Other rare and unique materials are moved to special collections as warranted.
Locating Items
How to locate items
Published materials in Special Collections include Arkansas Tech University theses & dissertations, yearbooks, course catalogs, budgets, and other commonly requested documents about the history of Arkansas Tech University.
All Special Collections items are listed and discoverable in Find It..., the online library catalog. The search term is b8:Special Collectionsb8:Special Collections AND kw:catalog for the ATU Course Catalogs, or b8:Special Collections AND kw:budget for the ATU budgets per fiscal year.
For materials unavailable online or if you have a research question about institutional, local, or regional history, contact the Digital and Special Collections Librarian Charity Park by phone at 479-964-0561 or by email at cpark@atu.edu.
Visiting the Archives
At this time, only the published materials are open to researchers. They can only be accessed by appointment. You must complete the University Archives & Special Collections Registration Form below.
The Archives are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm when the library is open. Always check the library operating hours.
Arkansas Tech University Archives & Special Collections Registration Form
You may receive a copy of the form if you wish. You should receive a reply within 24 hours, or by the next business day on weekends or holidays. The University Archives & Special Collections may be accessed by appointment between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Patrons will be required to present a Tech ID or state-issued identification card at the appointment.
Rules and Procedures
An Archive staff member will retrieve the requested materials and place them on a designated table for the researcher to use. If a multi-box collection is requested, only one box will be available at a time.
Patrons will be asked to look through one folder at a time to maintain order. Place markers will be provided for scan requests. Patrons may photograph material if it is not restricted, but flash photography is prohibited.
If a patron would like material scanned, an Archive staff member will assist them in scanning the items with the library’s overhead scanner. Depending on the condition of the material, this option may not be available.
Scan requests cannot exceed 50 pages per visit. Scanning published materials are subject to copyright law found in Title 17 of the U.S. Code. Some materials may be unavailable due to their condition, state of processing, or privacy restrictions.
Patrons will be asked to put any prohibited personal property in a locker while they use the collections. Below are lists of prohibited and accepted items to carry while using the University Archives collections.
Prohibited items while using archival materials
  • Purses or backpacks (Lockers are available.)
  • Pens or markers
  • Scanners
  • Food
  • Drinks
Acceptable items while using archival materials
  • Pencils
  • Paper
  • Cameras or phones (without the use of flash)
  • Tablets
  • Laptops (must be turned on and kept open)