Patron FAQ
Click on the questions or statements below to learn more about the Woodson Research Center and our services.
Patron FAQ
Click on the questions or statements below to learn more about the Woodson Research Center and our services.
After reviewing our finding aids, please contact us via email (woodson@rice.edu) to ask reference questions, request materials and/or book an appointment in our reading room. If requesting specific materials, please tell us the collection name and/or collection number (MS or UA) and the numbers of the boxes that you would like to view. We pull materials based on the box number and not at the folder level. We will work with you to order your boxes and book your time in our reading room. When you arrive, we’ll explain our rules for handling our archival materials.
Tell me more about doing onsite research.
After reviewing our finding aids, please contact us via email (woodson@rice.edu) to ask reference questions, request materials and/or book an appointment in our reading room. If requesting specific materials, please tell us the collection name and/or collection number (MS or UA) and the numbers of the boxes that you would like to view. We pull materials based on the box number and not at the folder level. We will work with you to order your boxes and book your time in our reading room. When you arrive, we’ll explain our rules for handling our archival materials.
If you are unable to come to the Woodson, we might be able to help you with your research needs. Archivists are able to do up to one hour’s work of research for our distance patrons. This includes helping with a research question, scanning, and sharing digital or digitized materials. We will charge $25 for research assistance, which is payable via credit card through Rice University’s invoicing system. If you need high-resolution or oversized scanning, please email us for pricing information. Any research assistance that is more than one hour worth of work requires a proxy researcher. If we are able, we can connect you with someone.
If you are requesting us to share digitized or digital materials with you, we will need you to fill out a duplication of materials form, which also acknowledges copyright research responsibilities. We will contact you about your request via email.
If we share digitized or digital materials with you, we will share them via our file sharing service and they will be “view only” for 14 days. We will share up to 10 audio/video files or one archival information packet (AIP) at a time.
Tell me more about your distance research assistance.
If you are unable to come to the Woodson, we might be able to help you with your research needs. Archivists are able to do up to one hour’s work of research for our distance patrons. This includes helping with a research question, scanning, and sharing digital or digitized materials. We will charge $25 for research assistance, which is payable via credit card through Rice University’s invoicing system. If you need high-resolution or oversized scanning, please email us for pricing information. Any research assistance that is more than one hour worth of work requires a proxy researcher. If we are able, we can connect you with someone.
If you are requesting us to share digitized or digital materials with you, we will need you to fill out a duplication of materials form, which also acknowledges copyright research responsibilities. We will contact you about your request via email.
If we share digitized or digital materials with you, we will share them via our file sharing service and they will be “view only” for 14 days. We will share up to 10 audio/video files or one archival information packet (AIP) at a time.
Yes, you do. The majority of our collections are kept offsite. We also need to book a time slot for you in the reading room, since we have limited researcher space.
Our reading room is open Monday - Friday 9am-4pm.
Do I need an appointment to view your materials?
Yes, you do. The majority of our collections are kept offsite. We also need to book a time slot for you in the reading room, since we have limited researcher space.
Our reading room is open Monday - Friday 9am-4pm.
If you have a small amount of materials, you can park on campus and bring them in. If you need directions, please see “Where is the Woodson located? Where do I park?”
If you have boxes that you want to drop off, we suggest that you bring them to our loading dock. On the Rice Campus map, you can see the driveway to Fondren Library's loading dock on the map between the red numbers 7 and 8. The loading dock will be on your left. Please call us when you arrive, 713-348-2586. We will only accept materials from those that have communicated with us beforehand about donating.
How do I drop off materials to you? Where is your loading dock?
If you have a small amount of materials, you can park on campus and bring them in. If you need directions, please see “Where is the Woodson located? Where do I park?”
If you have boxes that you want to drop off, we suggest that you bring them to our loading dock. On the Rice Campus map, you can see the driveway to Fondren Library's loading dock on the map between the red numbers 7 and 8. The loading dock will be on your left. Please call us when you arrive, 713-348-2586. We will only accept materials from those that have communicated with us beforehand about donating.
Our digitized and digital items are available via our Digital Collections website. We place items online that have research value and interest. We cannot place all of our items online, because we might be violating copyright or privacy.
We do have digitized and digital items that are available for viewing upon request. You can search our finding aids to find these types of items.
How do I find digitized and digital items?
Our digitized and digital items are available via our Digital Collections website. We place items online that have research value and interest. We cannot place all of our items online, because we might be violating copyright or privacy.
We do have digitized and digital items that are available for viewing upon request. You can search our finding aids to find these types of items.
When looking through our finding aids, you will see that some materials are restricted. If you want to research a restricted file(s), we ask that you make a formal request using our Request for Access to Restricted Archival Materials form. We will determine the content of the folder(s) and reach out to interested parties/donors to determine if permission can be granted.
How do I request restricted archival materials?
When looking through our finding aids, you will see that some materials are restricted. If you want to research a restricted file(s), we ask that you make a formal request using our Request for Access to Restricted Archival Materials form. We will determine the content of the folder(s) and reach out to interested parties/donors to determine if permission can be granted.
Members of the Rice University community may apply to install an exhibit in the main lobby exhibit cases or on the hallway grids following the objectives of the Exhibits Policy. Design and execution of exhibits must be carefully planned in advance and exhibits must not impede the regular functions of the Library. Please fill out the Exhibit Space Request form, so we can understand what your exhibit goals are and whether we are able to help you achieve them.
How do I request to use exhibit spaces?
Members of the Rice University community may apply to install an exhibit in the main lobby exhibit cases or on the hallway grids following the objectives of the Exhibits Policy. Design and execution of exhibits must be carefully planned in advance and exhibits must not impede the regular functions of the Library. Please fill out the Exhibit Space Request form, so we can understand what your exhibit goals are and whether we are able to help you achieve them.
We offer three types of materials: university archives, and special collections which comprise manuscript collections and rare books.
To search all of our physical archives, please consult our finding aids/inventories for the collections. To view our digital/digitized materials, please visit Digital Collections. To find our rare books, please browse the catalog.
How do I search what’s in the Woodson Research Center?
We offer three types of materials: university archives, and special collections which comprise manuscript collections and rare books.
To search all of our physical archives, please consult our finding aids/inventories for the collections. To view our digital/digitized materials, please visit Digital Collections. To find our rare books, please browse the catalog.
The Woodson Research Center Use Policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials.
Step 1: Determine who holds the copyright. You can consult this Copyright and Licensing guide for more information.
Step 2: In the rare case where Rice University owns the copyright, you must complete our Permission to Publish form. We cannot provide permission to publish for materials for which we do hold the copyright.
Step 3: How to cite our sources:
- For physical materials: [Item title, collection title], Courtesy of Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
- For digital/digitized materials from our website: [Item title, collection title, URL of webpage], Courtesy of Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
How do I publish Woodson materials?
The Woodson Research Center Use Policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials.
Step 1: Determine who holds the copyright. You can consult this Copyright and Licensing guide for more information.
Step 2: In the rare case where Rice University owns the copyright, you must complete our Permission to Publish form. We cannot provide permission to publish for materials for which we do hold the copyright.
Step 3: How to cite our sources:
- For physical materials: [Item title, collection title], Courtesy of Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
- For digital/digitized materials from our website: [Item title, collection title, URL of webpage], Courtesy of Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.
An appraisal can help determine the fair market value of materials for purposes of negotiating a sale or a tax write-off associated with donating the materials. Woodson Research Center suggests the following resources to help you begin conducting research on a suitable appraiser for your collection. The Woodson cannot provide appraisals because it would be a legal conflict of interest.
- For basic information on the appraisal process, read Your Old Books, a pamphlet prepared by the Rare Books and Manuscript Section (RBMS) of the American Library Association (ALA).
- Find a bookseller to help you sell your books: Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America publishes an annual membership directory. It includes subject and geographical indices to help you contact the booksellers who might be of assistance
- Find an appraiser:
- The American Society of Appraisers (the “Society”) is a multi-discipline non-profit international organization of professional appraisers (valuers).
- The Appraisers Association of America
- Local area appraisers:
- Kurt Zimmerman
740 Holly Springs Dr., Conroe, TX 77302
936-537-1983
zbooks@yahoo.com
If you are interested in conservation services, we suggest you reach out to Vela Custom Bookmakers.
Tell me more about appraisals and conservation.
An appraisal can help determine the fair market value of materials for purposes of negotiating a sale or a tax write-off associated with donating the materials. Woodson Research Center suggests the following resources to help you begin conducting research on a suitable appraiser for your collection. The Woodson cannot provide appraisals because it would be a legal conflict of interest.
- For basic information on the appraisal process, read Your Old Books, a pamphlet prepared by the Rare Books and Manuscript Section (RBMS) of the American Library Association (ALA).
- Find a bookseller to help you sell your books: Antiquarian Bookseller's Association of America publishes an annual membership directory. It includes subject and geographical indices to help you contact the booksellers who might be of assistance
- Find an appraiser:
- The American Society of Appraisers (the “Society”) is a multi-discipline non-profit international organization of professional appraisers (valuers).
- The Appraisers Association of America
- Local area appraisers:
- Kurt Zimmerman
740 Holly Springs Dr., Conroe, TX 77302
936-537-1983
zbooks@yahoo.com
If you are interested in conservation services, we suggest you reach out to Vela Custom Bookmakers.
Please see our YouTube video about how to build a community archive.
Tell me more about community archiving.
Please see our YouTube video about how to build a community archive.
Fondren Library does have a preservation department for the repair and longevity of our collection; however, it does not provide these services to the public. Visit Fondren’s preservation services page for resources on taking care of your private collection.
Tell me more about Preservation Services.
Fondren Library does have a preservation department for the repair and longevity of our collection; however, it does not provide these services to the public. Visit Fondren’s preservation services page for resources on taking care of your private collection.
Public Scanner
In our reading room, we provide an overhead scanner for our patrons. It is free. If you plan on scanning a large amount of material, we suggest that you bring a hard drive.
High-Resolution or Oversize Scanning
The Woodson Research Center can provide high-resolution scanning services. We charge a $25 research fee and will only do up to one hour’s worth of scanning. Please fill out our duplication of materials form, if you are interested in high-resolution scans.
Tell me more about scanning Woodson materials.
Public Scanner
In our reading room, we provide an overhead scanner for our patrons. It is free. If you plan on scanning a large amount of material, we suggest that you bring a hard drive.
High-Resolution or Oversize Scanning
The Woodson Research Center can provide high-resolution scanning services. We charge a $25 research fee and will only do up to one hour’s worth of scanning. Please fill out our duplication of materials form, if you are interested in high-resolution scans.
A finding aid is an inventory of an archival collection that also contains biographical, location, and permissions information. Our finding aids are fully searchable online.
What is a finding aid?
A finding aid is an inventory of an archival collection that also contains biographical, location, and permissions information. Our finding aids are fully searchable online.
On the Rice campus map, the library is #12. You can come in Entrance 1 (the main entrance) and park at the Founder's Court Parking Lot. You will enter the lot with your credit card and rescan your credit card when you exit.
After parking, you'll see a building with an archway through the middle, which is Lovett Hall. Walk through the arch. The building on the other side of the quadrangle is Fondren Library. Enter through the front doors. Someone working the welcome desk will ask for a valid photo ID, which they will scan.
After you get through the main checkpoint, walk through the metal hallway. We are located at the end on your left across from the Service (circulation) Desk.
Where is the Woodson located? Where do I park?
On the Rice campus map, the library is #12. You can come in Entrance 1 (the main entrance) and park at the Founder's Court Parking Lot. You will enter the lot with your credit card and rescan your credit card when you exit.
After parking, you'll see a building with an archway through the middle, which is Lovett Hall. Walk through the arch. The building on the other side of the quadrangle is Fondren Library. Enter through the front doors. Someone working the welcome desk will ask for a valid photo ID, which they will scan.
After you get through the main checkpoint, walk through the metal hallway. We are located at the end on your left across from the Service (circulation) Desk.
Subject strengths of manuscript collections include Houston families & history, Houston Folk and Blues Music, South Texas Jewish History, LGBTQ community, Asian American community, convict leasing, local Hip Hop culture, Rice faculty members' papers, U.S. Civil War materials, British Maritime & Naval History, and more. We also house the Center for the Impossible materials, relating to anomalous and paranormal phenomena.
The William Ward Watkin and Annie Ray Watkin University Archives contain the historical records of Rice University. Non-current records from administrative offices, Rice presidents, academic departments, residential colleges, and student organizations are preserved and made available for researchers. The archives also contain campus plans, drawings and blueprints; photographs; publications; Rice University websites; the Rice Thresher student newspaper; video and audiotapes; ephemeral material; and memorabilia.
Formats in these primary source collections include photographs, letters, diaries, reports, financial records, memorabilia, land deeds, computer disks, email, audio, video, oral histories, maps, and many others. Rare book active collecting areas include Texana, History of Science, publications by Rice faculty, and areas which support any of the manuscript collection subjects.
Overall, the Woodson Research Center will strive to build collections with the perspective of inclusivity and diversity, seeking to recognize and address silences in the historical record.
What is your collection development policy?
Subject strengths of manuscript collections include Houston families & history, Houston Folk and Blues Music, South Texas Jewish History, LGBTQ community, Asian American community, convict leasing, local Hip Hop culture, Rice faculty members' papers, U.S. Civil War materials, British Maritime & Naval History, and more. We also house the Center for the Impossible materials, relating to anomalous and paranormal phenomena.
The William Ward Watkin and Annie Ray Watkin University Archives contain the historical records of Rice University. Non-current records from administrative offices, Rice presidents, academic departments, residential colleges, and student organizations are preserved and made available for researchers. The archives also contain campus plans, drawings and blueprints; photographs; publications; Rice University websites; the Rice Thresher student newspaper; video and audiotapes; ephemeral material; and memorabilia.
Formats in these primary source collections include photographs, letters, diaries, reports, financial records, memorabilia, land deeds, computer disks, email, audio, video, oral histories, maps, and many others. Rare book active collecting areas include Texana, History of Science, publications by Rice faculty, and areas which support any of the manuscript collection subjects.
Overall, the Woodson Research Center will strive to build collections with the perspective of inclusivity and diversity, seeking to recognize and address silences in the historical record.
Digital Preservation Policy
Last Revised: August 2026
Primary Policy Aims
The Digital Preservation Policy of the Woodson Research Center (WRC) provides guidance and authorization for preservation of its digital materials, whether born digital or digitized from analog formats. WRC recognizes digital archival records as requiring thoughtful preservation actions in order to ensure long-term access, similar to analog records’ needs, but more time sensitive. Steps must be taken to ensure the authenticity, reliability and long-term accessibility of these materials.
This digital preservation policy serves the needs of Rice University as our incoming University Archives are increasingly in born-digital format (e-mail, meeting minutes, still images, video files, data sets and more), and many manuscript collections contain electronic formats as well.
Risk Assessment
Our institution and its collections are currently at high risk as we are in the early years of our digital preservation program. We have digital collections with a wide range of formats, some of which are becoming obsolete (e.g. 5” floppy disks, proprietary e-mail), and for these we lack important metadata, particularly technical and preservation metadata.
Needs Statement
Our digital resources are part of our collections, and as such, they require a digital preservation policy that establishes terms of selection and retention, as well as a formal preservation program to assure their long term accessibility.
Project/Purpose Statement
The purpose of our Digital Preservation Policy is to establish a long-term digital preservation solution for our institution that will assure accessibility to special collections and unique resources.
Goals and Objectives
In accordance with our primary mission to support the institutional, research and public service programs of the University, WRC plans to assure the long term access of our collections by continuing the digital preservation program which was developed in 2014.
Organizational Commitments
Our library supports our primary digital preservation environment, through Archivematica software on a local server with geographically diverse backups. We will also continue to support relevant workstations such as the BitCurator station and software, Droid, BagIt, QuickHash as well as consulting on relationships with cloud storage vendors such as Amazon Glacier (for off-site back-up storage of nearline materials) and Archive-It (for website archiving).
Financial Commitments
Fondren Library financially supports Archivematica software and technical support.
Personnel
- Sara Lowman, University Librarian – institutional support
- Amanda Focke, Head of Spec. Coll. - curatorial support (WRC)
- Megan Scott, Digital Archivist - curatorial support (WRC)
- Rebecca Russell, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Norie Guthrie, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Traci Patterson, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Lisa Spiro, Ex. Dir. of DSS - advisory support (DSS)
- Fondren Library IT - technical support
- Rice Research Computing - technical support
These roles are more fully defined below in the section Roles & Responsibilities
Preservation & Quality Control
We use and update the “donor guidelines for electronic formats” document to address not only preferred file formats, but information on our migration or normalization plans.
Preservation Metadata
We follow appropriate national standards and best practices on the role, use, and creation of preservation metadata that fit our collections as established by organizations including LC, NARA, DLF, and others. We create standard preservation metadata as required by the OAIS model of information packages, including reference (unique ID), provenance (description in finding aid and/or structural metadata), context (item’s relation to the whole) and fixity (checksums). This is created using Archivematica’s microservices for file format normalization and technical metadata creation, as well as including contextual description written by the archives staff.
Roles & Responsibilities
Our parent organization, Rice University, and the Fondren Library provide financial support for preservation of the digital collection by providing archival, digital curation, and IT staff, and by budgeting funds to acquire hardware, software, and cloud storage space to manage digital collections. The Woodson Research Center provides curatorial support (including the creation of proper metadata) for collections; prepares collections for ingest; and monitors collections within the preservation system. Digital Scholarship Services provide advisory services, guidance and review of the curatorial activities of the Woodson Research Center (including review of metadata, review of the ingest of collections, and monitoring collections within the preservation system). Fondren IT provides technical support by consulting with the WRC and DSS in acquiring hardware, software, and cloud storage space to manage digital collections.
Training/Education
Our institution will invest in training opportunities that will meet the specific needs of preservationists, metadata specialists, systems specialists, archivists, and legal specialists. These individuals will be expected to train the rest of our personnel about various aspects of digital preservation. Our staff have attended significant SAA DAS training workshops and have passed the DAS exam.
Evaluation and Updating
This Digital Preservation Policy will be reviewed and updated annually by the Woodson Research Center and Digital Scholarship Services in conjunction with Fondren IT. A copy of this plan is available on the Fondren Library website.
This document is based on the NEDCC Digital Preservation Policy
Template: http://www.nedcc.org/assets/media/documents/SoDAExerciseToolkit.pdf
What is your digital preservation policy?
Digital Preservation Policy
Last Revised: August 2026
Primary Policy Aims
The Digital Preservation Policy of the Woodson Research Center (WRC) provides guidance and authorization for preservation of its digital materials, whether born digital or digitized from analog formats. WRC recognizes digital archival records as requiring thoughtful preservation actions in order to ensure long-term access, similar to analog records’ needs, but more time sensitive. Steps must be taken to ensure the authenticity, reliability and long-term accessibility of these materials.
This digital preservation policy serves the needs of Rice University as our incoming University Archives are increasingly in born-digital format (e-mail, meeting minutes, still images, video files, data sets and more), and many manuscript collections contain electronic formats as well.
Risk Assessment
Our institution and its collections are currently at high risk as we are in the early years of our digital preservation program. We have digital collections with a wide range of formats, some of which are becoming obsolete (e.g. 5” floppy disks, proprietary e-mail), and for these we lack important metadata, particularly technical and preservation metadata.
Needs Statement
Our digital resources are part of our collections, and as such, they require a digital preservation policy that establishes terms of selection and retention, as well as a formal preservation program to assure their long term accessibility.
Project/Purpose Statement
The purpose of our Digital Preservation Policy is to establish a long-term digital preservation solution for our institution that will assure accessibility to special collections and unique resources.
Goals and Objectives
In accordance with our primary mission to support the institutional, research and public service programs of the University, WRC plans to assure the long term access of our collections by continuing the digital preservation program which was developed in 2014.
Organizational Commitments
Our library supports our primary digital preservation environment, through Archivematica software on a local server with geographically diverse backups. We will also continue to support relevant workstations such as the BitCurator station and software, Droid, BagIt, QuickHash as well as consulting on relationships with cloud storage vendors such as Amazon Glacier (for off-site back-up storage of nearline materials) and Archive-It (for website archiving).
Financial Commitments
Fondren Library financially supports Archivematica software and technical support.
Personnel
- Sara Lowman, University Librarian – institutional support
- Amanda Focke, Head of Spec. Coll. - curatorial support (WRC)
- Megan Scott, Digital Archivist - curatorial support (WRC)
- Rebecca Russell, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Norie Guthrie, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Traci Patterson, Archivist / Librarian - curatorial support (WRC)
- Lisa Spiro, Ex. Dir. of DSS - advisory support (DSS)
- Fondren Library IT - technical support
- Rice Research Computing - technical support
These roles are more fully defined below in the section Roles & Responsibilities
Preservation & Quality Control
We use and update the “donor guidelines for electronic formats” document to address not only preferred file formats, but information on our migration or normalization plans.
Preservation Metadata
We follow appropriate national standards and best practices on the role, use, and creation of preservation metadata that fit our collections as established by organizations including LC, NARA, DLF, and others. We create standard preservation metadata as required by the OAIS model of information packages, including reference (unique ID), provenance (description in finding aid and/or structural metadata), context (item’s relation to the whole) and fixity (checksums). This is created using Archivematica’s microservices for file format normalization and technical metadata creation, as well as including contextual description written by the archives staff.
Roles & Responsibilities
Our parent organization, Rice University, and the Fondren Library provide financial support for preservation of the digital collection by providing archival, digital curation, and IT staff, and by budgeting funds to acquire hardware, software, and cloud storage space to manage digital collections. The Woodson Research Center provides curatorial support (including the creation of proper metadata) for collections; prepares collections for ingest; and monitors collections within the preservation system. Digital Scholarship Services provide advisory services, guidance and review of the curatorial activities of the Woodson Research Center (including review of metadata, review of the ingest of collections, and monitoring collections within the preservation system). Fondren IT provides technical support by consulting with the WRC and DSS in acquiring hardware, software, and cloud storage space to manage digital collections.
Training/Education
Our institution will invest in training opportunities that will meet the specific needs of preservationists, metadata specialists, systems specialists, archivists, and legal specialists. These individuals will be expected to train the rest of our personnel about various aspects of digital preservation. Our staff have attended significant SAA DAS training workshops and have passed the DAS exam.
Evaluation and Updating
This Digital Preservation Policy will be reviewed and updated annually by the Woodson Research Center and Digital Scholarship Services in conjunction with Fondren IT. A copy of this plan is available on the Fondren Library website.
This document is based on the NEDCC Digital Preservation Policy
Template: http://www.nedcc.org/assets/media/documents/SoDAExerciseToolkit.pdf