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Museum Archives Policies

Information for Researchers

Requesting Information

The Field Museum Archives and Library staff welcome inquiries on all aspects of the Museum’s history.

Please be as specific as possible when requesting information (e.g. Please send me the name of the first anthropology staff member to work in Africa) as limited staff time prevents us from answering broad research questions (e.g. Please send me information about the history of the anthropology staff).

Selected collection indexes and finding aids of the Archives' holdings are available.

Please note: Reference requests are answered in the order received. Internal research requests from Field Museum staff  take precedence and hence there may be a delay in the fulfillment of your request.

Requesting an Appointment

The Museum Archives are open to visitors and researchers by appointment only. Appointments for visitors are available Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., subject to staff availability.
To schedule your visit or to make an inquiry about the collection, please use the Library and Archives contact form

Archives Use Guidelines

  • The Museum Archives collections are available for research use at no charge
  • Materials are non-circulating and may only be consulted on-site in the Library Reading Room under staff supervision
  • To allow sufficient time for review and retrieval, requests must be made in advance.
  • Some materials are restricted and therefore unavailable for research. These include unprocessed collections, fragile or special-format items requiring preservation safeguards, and records subject to donor, legal, or proprietary restrictions.
  • All materials retrieved will be recorded on an Archives Use Record, which users must sign to acknowledge responsibility for returning all the items in the same condition they were delivered.
  • Scanning or digital photography requires prior approval from the Archivist. Permission may be denied if copying could harm the material or if restrictions prohibit reproduction. Reproduction fees may apply to approved requests for reference copies.