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Teaching, Learning & Research with Archives & Special Collections: Archives & Special Collections Consultations

Information on how to use Archives & Special Collections holdings for teaching, learning and research.

Archives & Special Collections Consultations

Archives & Special Collections staff offer individual, personalized research support for students, staff and faculty who are interested in using our unique collections in their scholarly and creative pursuits. These consultations are most frequently conducted face-to-face, but can also take place via email or phone. Since this research can often be complex and time-consuming, it is best to make an appointment ahead of time to ensure staff are on-hand to assist and collections are available to access. During busy times of the quarter (like the beginning, or just before mid-terms and/or finals), we recommend emailing or calling at least four to five business days in advance. Requests for research support and appointment requests received past 4:30pm on weekdays, as well as any time on the weekends, will be responded to on the next business day.

Contact archives.speccoll@wwu.edu for more information or to schedule a consultation. Typically, Archives & Special Collections staff will ask you about:

  • Your research topic
  • Day(s)/time(s) that might work for you
  • As far as possible, which specific collections and/or collection contents you want to access (so that staff know what records/items to retrieve)
  • How many will be in your group (e.g. if you are visiting with another classmate and/or project partner)

If you're having a hard time deciding what to research and/or you're not sure if there will be unique and primary sources that relate to it, check out these "subject guides" covering topics that are well-documented in Archives & Special Collections collections.