FAQs

What are your hours?

During the summer, we are open Monday 8:00-6:00 and Tuesday through Friday from 8:00-5:00. 

During the academic year, we are open from Monday through Friday 8:00-5:00 with evening hours available on Monday by appointment only.  Please be aware that all services end fifteen minutes prior to close each day.  Please check our calendar for information regarding holiday closures, intercession hours, etc.

Do I need to make an appointment to visit the CAC?

No, same day use of most materials is available. However, we do recommend contacting us prior to your visit so that we can have materials ready for you to begin research when you arrive.

Where are the materials stored?

All materials at the CAC do not circulate and are located in closed stacks on the 5th floor of the Jerome Library or at the regional offsite storage facility.  Materials can be 'Scheduled for Use' and pulled for the patron before the research visit.  The 'Schedule for Use' feature appears within the catalog record for the item to be requested, and is only uniquely required for materials that are stored offsite.  2-3 business days are required for this type of request.  Visitors wishing to examine CAC materials are able to complete a researcher application form online or in-person.

How do I search for materials online?

There are several ways to search our holdings.

1.  For historical newspapers and local government records covering the nineteen counties of NW Ohio, visit our NW Ohio Resources Page.

2.  For NW Ohio Manuscript Collections, Rare Books and Special Collections, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, and the National Student Affairs Archives, please visit the collections page of the site.  

3.  For primary source manuscript materials, search our collection having selected the 'finding aid' option.  For general reference sources, search the library’s catalog; scholarly works and university produced publications are available through ScholarWorks. For genealogical resources, visit our Northwest Ohio Resources page and our genealogy page.  

All of these options are available on our homepage. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, please contact us. 

What are your policies and procedures?

Visitors may bring computers, paper, pencil and necessary notebooks into the research room.  No pens are allowed.  All other materials must be stored on shelves or in lockers provided by the CAC.  More information can be found on our researcher application form.

May I photocopy and/or scan materials?

Copies and scans are permitted, as long as materials are not too fragile.  We reserve the right to prohibit copies and scans of rare and fragile materials.  Copies are > $0.15 cents and low-resolution scans can be sent via email for free.  Please visit our Services page to learn more about photo and document reproduction.

May I photograph materials using a digital camera?

Yes, but permission of the staff is required before any photography.

How do I request materials from offsite?

If the catalog record indicates that research materials are stored offsite, please use the 'Schedule for Use' feature to request the materials for viewing at least two business before the anticipated research visit.  Email the reference archivist on duty at cac@libanswers.bgsu.edu with further questions.