A Guide to the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections

Requesting archival material by email

Please contact us ahead of your visit by submitting a form at the following link: Archives Research Collections Materials Request Form.

• You may request any combination of up to 12 items. These may be either archival boxes, books, or any combination thereof. Please note that larger archival boxes (banker's boxes and oversize items) may count as two items. For multi-volume published works, each volume counts as a separate item.

For archives, you must include the archives title and box number(s). For books, include author, title, and call number(s). Examples:

• Farley Mowat archives, boxes 7, 9, and 22
• Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway, PR 6045 .O72 M7 1925

If you don’t know exactly what you want to see, please email archives@mcmaster.ca for assistance.

Reminders

• Archival material is not always available on-site. It may take a few days for the archives to get the material prepared for you. That is why it is always a good idea to email a few days in advance of your visit.
• Archival material may be subject to access restrictions. Be aware of any possible access restrictions which would be listed in the archival finding aid. If the material you are interested in researching is restricted, you will not be able to look at it. 
• After you have submitted your request, boxes will be kept 'on hold' for one week. 

In being granted permission to access the archive(s) listed above and to make copies from the archive(s), you are agreeing to the following terms:

• the said permission does not include permission to publish the contents of the archive or any excerpt therefrom at any time.
• McMaster University Library – unless otherwise explicitly stated in writing – makes no representation that it is the owner of the common law copyright in the items accessed or copied.
• the researcher assumes responsibility for obtaining permission(s) from the copyright owner if they have the intention to publish the archive or excerpts therefrom in any form.

Requesting digital copies

In some cases, McMaster can provide digital copies of archival material. When requesting digital copies of archival material, please fill out the form found at the following link: Copy Request Form.

Directory of Researchers for Hire

This directory lists current graduate students at McMaster University who are interested in paid opportunities to work with our collections on behalf of researchers who are unable to visit our location in person.

The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections maintains this directory as a courtesy to facilitate connections between students and external researchers. The students listed in this directory are not employees of the University Library and must be consulted personally about their fees and services. We cannot participate in any way in these negotiations.