Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives

Requesting Materials

Please search for collection materials in the Archives Database or Library Catalog prior to your visit, and request materials to view during your visit when you schedule an appointment.

Staff will do their best to prepare the materials for you ahead of your visit, and may direct you to other materials related to your research needs, but you may request additional materials using the Materials Request Form provided during your visit.

Registration

Registration in the Reading Room includes presenting a photo ID (such as a student ID or driving license), and completing the registration form provided by the Special Collections staff.

Personal Property

Please store personal belongings, such as coats and bags, on or near the provided coat rack. For more secure storage, ask a staff member. For the security of the collections, any personal property brought into the room is subject to inspection upon leaving.

Materials Care and Handling

Your cooperation in following careful handling procedures listed below is necessary and appreciated to help preserve materials for future generations of researchers:

• Wash your hands directly before your appointment.
• Use only pencils to take notes; pens and markers are not allowed. Pencils are provided in the Reading Room.
• Handle materials carefully, and follow the instructions given by staff.
• Keep books, bound volumes, manuscripts, and photographs flat on the table. Foam book supports can be provided to hold volumes at a safe angle if needed.
• Except for special weights provided by staff, do not lay objects, note pages, or body parts on top of materials.
• Turn pages carefully.
• Maintain the materials in the order received.
• Do not trace, rub, erase materials, or mark on materials.
• You may be asked to wear cotton or nitrile gloves when using some materials, such as photographs or artifacts. Gloves are not necessary for most paper-based items.

Classroom instruction sessions can be planned with the Head of Special Collections. Instruction Sessions may include the following topics: Introduction to Library Resources, Information Search Strategies, Primary and Secondary Sources, Source Evaluation, Citations, Archival Literacy, and Visual Literacy. Sessions may include materials from the Special Collections, University Archives, and Rare Books collections. Instruction sessions will be tailored for the needs of the faculty and students.

Contact Annie Benefiel, Head of Special Collections and Liaison to the History, Anthropology and Classics Department, to discuss Classroom Instruction.

Group and individual tours may be scheduled to get a behind-the-scenes or personalized look at Butler University historical materials.

Contact Kyle Stearns, University Archivist, to discuss Group, Class, or Individual Tours.

The University Archives houses historical records, publications, media, ephemera, and artifacts of Butler University. However, we can only preserve the materials that are transferred to the archives!

We encourage Butler University faculty and staff to contact Kyle Stearns, University Archivist, to discuss which records should be transferred to the archives before records disposal or destruction occurs.

Use of Equipment

Laptops and cameras (including phone cameras) without flash may be used in the Reading Room.

Reproduction of Materials

Reproducing materials by photocopying, scanning, or photographic processes can be extremely damaging to rare and fragile materials. We encourage researchers to allow sufficient time to take notes since this is the least damaging way to carry the information home.

Please ask for a Reproduction Request Form at the service desk if photocopies or scans of materials are needed; fees will be collected for copies and scans. Photographs of materials with no flash are generally allowed, but please consult staff prior to taking any photographs.

We reserve the right to refuse a reproduction request if filling the request would result in damage to the materials being copied or would violate copyright law. Generally, nothing will be reproduced in its entirety, and no more than 50 pages or one-third of a collection will be reproduced, whichever is smaller. Reproductions, including photographs, are for private study, scholarship, or research use only. Note that this form does not give permission or copyright clearance to use the materials for other than research or educational purposes.

Staff will complete all reproduction work. Requests will be filled as quickly as possible, based on staff time and equipment access. If necessary, you may be asked to pick up your copies the next day or have them mailed to you.

Publication of Materials

“Publish” means the distribution of, or intent to distribute, any number of copies of a work, either by sale or for free. This includes online publication. If your use of materials may result in a published work, please inform the staff member at the service desk. You will be asked to complete a Permission to Publish Contract. Please note that researchers must obtain all copyright clearances before publishing.

Fees

Scanning and photographic fees: Prices will vary depending upon the specifics of the request and market prices since portions of these services are done out-of-house. Please discuss your needs with the department staff.

Gifts

Gifts of archival materials, books, or other historical items must be reviewed and accepted by the Head of Special Collections or University Archivist. All materials will be subject to our Collection Development Policy; if materials are not accepted, staff may direct you to alternative repositories that may be interested.

If you have materials you would like to donate, please contact us. A Deed of Gift contract will be provided to outline and document the transfer of property to Butler University.

Butler University Libraries staff and faculty may not make monetary appraisals of materials.

We deeply appreciate any funds freely given to support the Special Collections or University Libraries. Visit the Library’s Giving page for more information.

The department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Butler University officially organized and opened in the fall of 1971. This opening was announced with the formal dedication of its space in the northwest corner of the third floor of Irwin Library: the Hugh Thomas Miller Rare Book Room, named after a generous benefactor and professor of the University. The University had received special collections before this time, but they were scattered around campus and never officially overseen or cared for. Gifts include an assortment of Lincoln materials donated in 1925 by Charles W. Moores, a unique collection of books about the South Sea Islands donated in 1931 by William F. Charters, and preserved fishes donated by the Butler University Professor David Starr Jordan in 1877, which was the first recorded donation to the University. 

Rare Books and Special Collections operated in an official capacity from 1971 to 1974. From the fall of 1974 through 1979, there was no librarian officially in charge of the space. The Rare Book Room was not regularly open to the public during this five-year period, and collections were maintained when other librarians had the time that allowed it. 

In 1979, a generous gift was given to the library to support Special Collections and to finance a librarian to oversee the department. A new Rare Books and Special Collections librarian started in January 1980, and the position has been filled since that time. The generous gift came from the estate of Blanche Stillson. 

Butler University’s Archives were established in 1987. University Archives preserves the institutional, physical, scholarly, and, to some extent, the personal history of Butler University, its programs, facilities, and people. Butler University opened its doors in 1855 as a fully co-educational school. Much of the University’s history is intertwined with the growth of transportation, communication, business, and cultural institutions in Indiana.

Hugh Thomas Miller (1867–1948) was one of Butler University’s most notable alumni, faculty members, and benefactors. He was president of the Irwin-Union Trust Company and the Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana, and he was elected lieutenant governor of Indiana in 1904. For nearly 50 years he served on the Board of Trustees of Butler University.

In 1889, Miller joined the Butler faculty as Professor of History and Romance Languages. He recognized the central role of an academic library in the process of education and was responsible for the marked growth of the University’s collections during his years on the faculty (1889–99). He also introduced the then very modern practice of cross-referencing for all Butler library collections.