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Special Collections

A guide to using John Carroll University's unique and distinctive collections.

Community Expectations

Welcome to JCU's Special Collections! We want you to know that our mission as part of John Carroll University means that we are committed to care for the whole person (cura personalis), inclusion, collaboration, curiosity, respect, service, and sustainability as we preserve and provide access to library materials.

We will:

  • Treat you with respect and communicate clearly our policies on our website and in conversation with you.
  • Protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted or transmitted, in alignment with the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics.
  • Cultivate and celebrate diversity in our collections and our community to construct a more inclusive environment and experience.

We expect you to:

  • Respect library policies and follow the instructions of library employees (from student employees to the director) regarding access to and the use of library resources.
  • Respect the comfort, privacy, and safety of fellow library users and library staff. If your behavior is making others feel unsafe or uncomfortable, we’ll communicate with you about the impact of your behavior to resolve the situation.
  • Ask us for help and bring any questions or concerns to our attention.

If you are not meeting our expectations, we will let you know. If we’re not meeting yours, please let us know.

Handling Special Collections Materials

When you are working with art, archival materials, and other rare or unique collections, librarians will let you know the best practices for use. In general if you are working with JCU Special Collections materials, please:

  • Use a pencil, not a pen, marker, or other permanent writing instrument
  • Use clean, dry hands to handle paper materials (gloves are only needed if you are working with photos)
  • Do not rest arms, laptops, archival containers, or other materials on top of collections
  • Keep materials in order within folders
  • Let us know if you notice an item has unexpected damage or is in need of extra support (such as a book cradle)
  • Ask if you have questions about handling or would like an extra hand to photograph materials