Explore Special Collections in person
The Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library is the primary place to work with Special Collections materials in person. Explore rare books, archives, manuscripts, photographs and other unique materials up close, with archivists and other Special Collections professionals available to help you find what you need, answer questions and guide your research or exploration.
Appointments are required to view Special Collections materials. Most collections are stored off site, so requesting materials several days in advance gives our team time to prepare them and have them waiting for you when you arrive. Some materials may be viewed in a different reading room, and we’ll let you know if that’s the case.
Can’t visit in person? Digital access to selected materials may be available on a case-by-case basis.
Plan your visit
Students, researchers and community members are welcome to explore Special Collections in the Wurzburger Reading Room. Appointments are required so our team has time to prepare materials for your visit.
Request an appointment through Ask an Archivist. Our team will review your request and follow up by email, usually within a few days.
Location
Wurzburger Reading Room
Hayden Library, Level 1
300 E Orange St.
Tempe, AZ 85281
Not sure where to start?
Ask an Archivist: Whether you're new to Special Collections, exploring a topic or beginning a research project, Ask an Archivist can help you identify collections and plan your next steps.
Tools for finding and using special collections
Physical Collections
Primary Source Search lets you explore archival collections through detailed finding aids. Search by topic, browse collection descriptions and identify boxes or folders you’d like to view. When you find something, select “Request” in the finding aid to contact our reading room team and arrange your visit.
Many books and other Special Collections materials can be found through ASU Library One Search. ASU students, faculty and staff can select “Request ASU Copy” in the item record to begin a request. Community researchers can request materials through Ask an Archivist.
Plan ahead: Please submit requests at least five days before your visit so our team has time to prepare your materials.
Digital Collections
Explore digitized photographs, handwritten documents, publications, oral histories, audiovisual materials and more through PRISM. The digital repository provides online access to selected materials from ASU Library’s unique and archival collections.
Prepare for your appointment
To prepare for an appointment, please review the Researcher guidelines for the Wurzburger Reading Room.
If you have questions about your appointment, please reply to the email confirmation or submit your question using the Ask an Archivist form.
Most appointments are scheduled for the Wurzburger Reading Room, located on the first floor of Hayden Library on the Tempe campus. Access to certain materials held by ASU Library may be scheduled for a different reading room. Alternate reading room locations include:
Design Library Reading Room, located inside the Design and the Arts Library on the Tempe campus, is only available for appointments to access materials in the Design and the Arts Special Collections.
Fletcher Library Reading Room (Labriola Center), located on the third floor of Fletcher Library on the West Valley campus, is only available for appointments to access materials that are part of the Labriola Center’s collections.
All visitors to the Wurzburger Reading Room must follow researcher guidelines; this helps us protect our collections for future users. Review the guidelines prior to your appointment:
To use a camera, you will be asked to fill out a Camera Use Request form upon arrival at your appointment. Review the Camera Use Agreement below prior to your appointment to learn about guidelines regarding use of the camera and any photos or videos taken.
To cite published or unpublished materials from ASU Library’s Special Collections or archives, please refer to ASU's preferred citation:
[Identification of item], [Collection title], [Identifier], Arizona State University Library.
Prior to including published or unpublished materials in a publication, review the information about requesting rights and permissions below.
We appreciate your interest in supporting ASU Library. Due to the costs associated with processing, cataloging and long-term shelving, ASU Library has a very modest gift program and will only consider accepting rare materials with significant potential for scholarly research. For more information, please review our Gift Materials Policy.