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Research Guides

Special Collections Access

Requesting materials at the University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS)

We look forward to welcoming you to the UTARMS Reading Room!

The instructions on this page will guide you through the steps to request materials and book an appointment (optional). These instructions apply to requests made before a research visit or submitted while in the UTARMS Reading Room.

If you are visiting us for the first time, please be aware of the following requirements:

If you have more questions about the process, please review the Quick Links section of the sidebar or contact us.

Request instructions

Requests to access materials from archival fonds are submitted using a Special Collections Access form. Requests can be initiated using either of the following methods:

Initiate request from Discover Archives

You can the access request form for archival material from within the Discover Archives system by following these steps:

  1. Search Discover Archives to locate the collections and specific boxes you wish to view in the Reading Room. When an accession, box, or file is selected, the retrieval code will display in a white box along the right-hand side of the page.
  • Retrieval codes are 9-digit alpha-numeric accession codes (e.g. B2014-0005) followed by a box code (e.g., /001, /001P, _df001, etc.).

Discover Archives page for the Roxana Ng fonds with arrow pointing to retrieval code box along the right-hand side of the screen

  1. Select the Request for Use in the Reading Room button located along the right-hand side under the retrieval code(s).

Arrow pointing to Discover Archives 'Request for Use in the Reading Room' button

  • Note: Some University records accessions do not have box or file listings available online and the Request for Use in Reading Room option may not be available. In these cases, please contact utarms@utoronto.ca for more information, or use the manual entry option (described below) if you already know which boxes you wish to access.
  1. The Special Collections Access online request system will open in a new window where you will be asked to log in. If you have not registered for an account yet, you will need to do this first.
     
  2. Once logged in, the system will redirect you to the UTARMS request form. In the form, enter the fonds name (e.g., Roxana Ng fonds) and retrieval code(s) (e.g. B2014-0005/001-/002) for the materials you'd like to request. Reminder: retrieval codes are displayed in Discover Archives in a white box along the right-hand side (see Step 1 above).
  • Each request may include up to 6 boxes from a single accession.
  • To request additional boxes or materials from another accession, please submit separate request(s).
  1. At the bottom of the form, you will be given the option to provide additional information about your request and book an appointment (not required). Jump to instructions on the additional information and appointment sections of the form.

Initiate request from the UTARMS homepage

Access the Special Collections Access request form from the UTARMS homepage by following these steps:

  1. First, using a finding aid provided by an archivist, consulted in the Reading Room, or downloaded as a PDF from Discover Archives, identify the retrieval code(s) for the boxes you want to see.
  • Retrieval codes are most often found at the end of series descriptions or in a left-hand column of an appendix or file list.
  • Retrieval codes are 9-digit alpha-numeric accession codes (e.g. B2014-0005) followed by a box code (e.g., /001, /001P, _df001, etc.).
  1. From the UTARMS website homepage, select the request form link located on the left-hand side of the page.

UTARMS homepage with circle indicating 'request form' link

  1. The Special Collections Access online request system will open in a new window where you will be asked to log in. If you have not registered for an account yet, you will need to do this first.
     
  2. Once logged in, the system will redirect you to the UTARMS request form. In the form, enter the fonds name (e.g., Roxana Ng fonds) and retrieval code(s) (e.g. B2014-0005/001-/002) for the materials you'd like to request. 
  • Each request may include up to 6 boxes from a single accession.
  • To request additional boxes or materials from another accession, please submit separate request(s).
  1. At the bottom of the form, you will be given the option to provide additional information about your request and book an appointment (not required). For additional instructions regarding these sections of the form, please see below.

You can automatically populate requests for the theses and publications held at UTARMS from within the University of Toronto's LibrarySearch system by following these steps:

  1. Locate your desired item in LibrarySearch. If you see too many results, you can narrow your results to UTARMS' holdings using the filters on the left side of the screen or the dropdown in the Advanced Search dialog at the top. 

    Library list detail in LibrarySearch

    For more assistance with searching, you can consult the LibrarySearch Tips guide.
     

  2. When you have found your item, navigate to the Locations section and select University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services. If there are multiple holding locations, you may need to expand the UTARMS option.

    Example of LibrarySearch Locations section showing list of three libraries

  3. Select the Special Collections Access link, which will redirect you to the Special Collections Access system.

    Example of location details showing Special Collections Access button
     
  4. You will be prompted to log in to Special Collections Access if you have not done so already. If you have not registered for an account yet, you will need to do this first.
     
  5. The system will redirect you to the University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services request form, which will be automatically populated with the information about your requested item. Please review the imported information as the quality may vary, then add any additional required information before you submit.
     
  6. If you are requesting issues of serial publications like newspapers or magazines, materials from multi-volume sets, or items for which UTARMS holds multiple copies, please add volume, copy or item-specific information.

When you have finished entering the item information, proceed to the option sections below 

Additonal information

You can optionally give us more information about your visit to help us better assist you, and add notes and tags for your own reference.

  • Purpose: Tell us about the purpose of your request.
  • Research Subject: Tell us about the topic you are researching.
  • Special Requests/Questions: Please enter any special requirements, requests, or questions for UTARMS staff.
  • My Notes: Enter any notes for your personal reference; these notes are not shared with staff. 
  • My Tags: Enter any tags you would like associated with the request, separated by commas; these are for your reference only and are helpful when organizing your requests.

Scheduling an appointment

Visiting the Reading Room does not require an appointment, but you are welcome to schedule one when submitting a request for materials.

Creating a new appointment

  1. Within the Appointment (Optional) section near the bottom of the request form, select Schedule a New Appointment, which will expand into a calendar dialog.
  2. Choose your appointment date, expected length, and time. For same-day appointments, please note that materials will not be retrieved after 4:15 pm.
  3. Enter an Appointment Tag to give your booking a name, which is optional and for your reference only.
  4. Checking the Available to Proxies? box will allow any Proxies/Researchers associated with your account to check out the item on your behalf, view the appointment, and add requests to it (see Assigning Proxies). 
  5. Select Create Appointment to save the appointment. 

Creating an appointment

Adding to an existing appointment

You can add new requests to previously created appointments, up to the limit of 10 active requests. Instead of creating a new appointment, choose one from the dropdown menu, which will ensure all of the requested items are made available together.
 

Selecting an existing appointment in Special Collections Access

Submitting your request

When you have completed the form, select Submit Request to forward it to our team for processing. UTARMS staff will contact you to confirm your request(s) and, if applicable, appointment(s).

  • If your material is on-site, it will be retrieved when you come to the Reading Room.
  • If your material is off-site, it can normally be retrieved within 2 business days.
  • If your request was placed while in the Reading Room and the material is on-site, the materials will be retrieved “on demand.”

If you have questions about a submitted request or experience any issues, please contact utarms@utoronto.ca.

If you are not ready to submit your request, you can save it for later. You can retrieve previously saved requests from the main menu by selecting Request History, then Saved Requests.

Special Collections Access submit request

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