Policies

Archives Access Guidelines

  1. Access to the Archives is available at no cost to LTSS students, faculty and staff, ELCA pastors, scholars, individuals researching information for ELCA congregation histories, and to members or representatives of ELCA congregations, institutions and synods. Access to others will be made available at the discretion of the Archives staff. Genealogists are charged a $5 daily fee for on-site research ($15 per week). The Archives staff also provides limited research services for a fee to researchers who can not visit in person. (See fee policy.)
  2. All patrons are asked to record each visit by signing in the visitor book located at the entrance of the Archives. This helps us track statistics.
  3. Patrons may not bring food, drink or smoking products into the Archives because of the damage that may occur from handling food and collections at the same time. Ringers of cellphones should be turned off, and in fact many carriers do not work in the basement.
  4. For reasons of collection security, Archives patrons are asked to leave knapsacks, briefcases, and stacks of books outside the Archives. If a patron has no other place to keep them, the Archives staff will be happy to hold these items until the patron completes the research. It is acceptable to bring a notepad or loose sheets of paper for notetaking.
  5. Generally, archives materials can not leave the Archives room. This is especially true of loose manuscript records and boxes of records. The only exceptions will be a book-type item, such as synod minutes or a historic journal, which can be temporarily transferred to Lineberger Library’s Reserve Shelf at the Circulation Desk. Usage will be limited to the Library.
  6. In general, access to the box storage area is restricted. Please ask the staff to help you retrieve materials. The staff will also return them to the proper place.
  7. For convenience, the Archives provides a photocopier on-site. It is not on the campus copy card system. Student photocopy charges are 10 cents a page. The Archives staff can make change for small bills.
  8. Because of limited funding, the Archives is unable to open all the hours the Library opens. You will also find that access to the materials requires fairly knowledgeable guidance, as opposed to just browsing the shelves in the library. Our online catalog is under development. Basically, you need help to use this collection. For the best assistance, we encourage you to plan ahead and make appointments.
  9. Considerations of privacy and condition of materials may restrict access to some records.
  10. Archives telephones are available for emergency use only. The student computer lab is a few steps away. A restroom is three doors down from the Archives entrance.