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University Archives and Special Collections

Welcome to the ASC home page!

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Contact Us

Have a question? Let us know!

Oakland University Archives and Special Collections (ASC) is available for contact in person and electronically, although electronic communication is typically most effective. Please reach out to us:

  • By phone: (248) 370-2451
  • By email: archives@oakland.edu
  • By form: Researchers with questions regarding our collections are encouraged to fill out our online form.
  • In person: KL 105
    • Our hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30am - 4:30pm; and Friday, 8:30am - noon.
    • ASC is not available for evening or weekend appointments.
    • Hours may be subject to change due to institutional schedules, campus closures, or inclement weather. Contact our office directly before traveling to campus to ensure our availability.
    • Please note that drop-in appointments for research help cannot be guaranteed immediate assistance, and appointments are preferred. Contact us at the methods above to schedule an appointment.

Research Starters

To get started with your research at OU's archives, try some of the following strategies:
Use Library OneSearch

to discover materials on your subject, limiting your search to locations corresponding to Archives and Special Collections. Then, use the "Special Collections Request Form" link in any record to request it. This is particularly useful for books, newspapers, magazines, and other publications in our collections.

Search our database of collection inventories (called "finding aids")

to view the entire contents of collections. This is particularly useful for archival or manuscript collections (collections of unpublished and/or loose pages, such as personal papers and correspondence).

Search our digital collections

Research Requests 

Explore our collections with the help of our archival experts.

If you're looking for personalized assistance with a specific research topic, project, or process, book a research appointment. We are available for in-person appointments on-site, where researchers can browse our collections according to divisional policy. Click here for more information. 

Please keep in mind:
  • Research appointments are available to the campus and outside community equally. You do not need to be an OU-affiliate to explore our collections - we're open to the public as well as our campus colleagues!
  • Research appointments should be booked in advance whenever possible. We will do our best to offer appointments for researchers Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm (mornings are strongly preferred). Drop-ins cannot be guaranteed service.
  • Research services provided by ASC personnel are subject to limitations. While ASC personnel are more than happy to assist with introductory research inquiries, we are not able to provide extensive personalized research services. Click here for more information.
  • Some collection items may not be available for research. The ASC reserves the right to deny access to collections or collection items, for reasons related to preservation requirements, privacy law, copyright, and/or university policy.

Interested in archival research?

If you're looking to research our archival collections, you can make a research request by filling out filling out our online form.

FAQs

Have a quick question? Chances are, someone else does too.

Get answers to some of our most frequently asked questions by exploring our FAQ pages. You might find what you need available here!