Frequently Asked Questions

  • An archive collects and preserves historic materials for people to use. 

    Archivists rarely think about an individual item, like a letter. Instead, archivists consider the historic materials as belonging to collections. The materials in a collection are connected and interact to tell a story. 

    All those letters, documents, and photographs created by the Acme Corporation? They make up a collection. The letter from Wile E. Coyote demanding a refund is an individual item in the Acme Corporation collection. Although there may be a copy of that letter somewhere, the collection itself is absolutely unique. One story we can see in the Acme Corporation collection is the variety of Acme products Wile E. Coyote purchased in his pursuit of Road Runner.

    Historically, only “qualified” researchers were allowed to use archives. In recent decades, many archives have abandoned rules that prevented people from having access to history. The Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives is open to all.

    For more information about archives and how to use them, view Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research by the Society of American Archivists.

What do I need to know before visiting CIAA?

  • Contact us. Many archives publish finding aids, collection guides, and collection descriptions on their website for the public to search. Other archives rely on direct communication with an archivist via mail, email, or telephone. Currently, the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives has some limited descriptions on our website, so people wanting to learn more about CIAA’s holdings are encouraged to contact the archives directly by completing a contact form.

  • Archival materials require special handling as we prepare them for your visit. Because our office and workspace doubles as the reading room for researchers, we need to make sure there is enough room for you to use those materials.

  • You’re doing it now by reading this FAQ section.

    Since doing research in archives can be very time intensive, we suggest that you do as much research as you can on your subject before coming to the archives. If you are able, arrive knowing the name(s) of the project(s), the designer(s) involved, the date range(s). Have a plan for what you want to accomplish or the types of materials (drawings, photographs, documents) you will consult and in what order.

    Bring chargers for any electronics you plan to use.

  • Popular culture has reinforced the idea that you must wear gloves when using archival materials, but that’s almost never the case. When handling paper, wearing gloves increases the risk of damaging paper because you do not have good tactile sense. We ask that you have clean, lotion-free hands. If you’re handling photographs that have not yet been sleeved in protective mylar, we will provide you with nitrile gloves.

  • No, materials may not be checked out. Because archival collections are not duplicated anywhere else, a key responsibility of any archive is to maintain the integrity of its collection materials so that future generations may use them.

  • You may not make photocopies, but you may take pictures of materials. We welcome photography for non-commercial, personal, or research use, but we do not allow flash photography. Tripods and copy stands are not permitted.

  • Yes, you may use a laptop or tablet during your research visit, but scanners are not permitted. You may take notes on paper with a pencil. To protect the collection, pens are not permitted. If needed, we will provide you with pencil and paper.

  • Yes, we do digitize some materials on request. We can digitize photographs and most drawings, although some drawings are too large or too fragile to digitize. Typically, we do not digitize documents.

  • Food and beverages are not permitted in the archives where collection materials are used. Sealed food or beverage in a bag, backpack, or purse is permitted in designated areas.

What type of appointment should I make to visit CIAA?

  • A research visit is for individual, self-guided use of collection materials. This may be a facilities manager looking for a building detail, an artist seeking inspiration, an author writing a book or article, or a designer studying precedent.

    A research visit may be as brief as a few minutes or as long as several weeks. There is no fee for research visits.

    Contact the archives prior to your visit. We strive to accommodate all researchers in a timely manner. Requests to see a few drawings can often be fulfilled within a few days if not on the same day. Requests to see large volumes of materials for in-depth research may not be fulfilled for up to six weeks.

  • An instructional session is for university or high school classes visiting the archives and looking at archival materials. In consultation with the instructor(s), the archivist designs and leads a session intended to briefly introduce students to the architectural archives and to present collection materials for their study. The materials are selected based on the learning goals of the instructor(s).

    Instructional sessions last between one and two hours and typically should not have more than 25 students. Several instructional sessions may be scheduled over the course of one or two days to accommodate large groups. There is no fee for instructional sessions.

    Contact the archives at least two months prior to your visit.

  • A collection tour is for any group that wishes to visit the archives and view a sampling of archival materials. The archivist consults with a member of the group to determine what topics and sorts of materials the group is interested in.

    The length of a collection tour is flexible but does not last longer than 90 minutes. Generally speaking, groups should not have more than 12 people, although accommodations may be made for larger groups. There is no fee for a collection tour.

    Contact the archives two months prior to your visit.

How may I use archival materials?

  • For presentations, publications, and the like, you should cite your sources. Citing sources adds credibility to your work, helps others locate the materials you’ve consulted, and recognizes the labor and resources of the archives you’ve used.

  • How you cite the materials depends on where you are using them.

    For presentations and news articles, we recommend as a minimum you identify the creator (who made the item) and the architectural archives. Including the collection name is optional. For instance, a photo by Balthazar Korab from the 301 Washington Street Collection, would be “Photo by Balthazar Korab, 301 Washington Street Collection, Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives,” or “Photo by Balthazar Korab, Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives.”

    For a publication such as book, academic article, or report, the citation is very detailed and allows other researchers to locate the particular item you have consulted. A standard citation for these uses is:

    [Title of item] by [creator], [date], [box number/folder number], [collection name (collection number)], Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives, Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus, Indiana.

    The photo by Balthazar Korab in the 301 Washington Street collection would be cited this way:

    Office meeting area in 301 Washington Street by Balthazar Korab (proof), 1970s, 2/2, 301 Washington Street Collection (C0001), Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives, BCPL Archives, Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus, Indiana.

    If you need assistance, please contact the archives.

  •  Archives rarely hold the rights to the materials in their collections, and this is the case for the CIAA. Therefore, we cannot give you permission to publish. It is your responsibility to determine whether an item is under copyright and who holds the copyright. It is also your responsibility to obtain permission to publish from the copyright holder. 

    We recommend that you consult the Society of American Archivists’ guide Copyright and Unpublished Material: An Introduction for Users of Archives and Manuscript Collections.

Can I donate materials to CIAA?

  • We know, this may seem a silly way to start, but you must own (or have “legal title” to) whatever it is you donate. The most common “problem” we see regarding ownership is when someone has taken materials from their job without permission. This problem is very rare and almost always an innocent mistake. Please contact us if you have any questions.

  • Yes, no, and sometimes. Yes, CIAA collects books for its small reference library if the books aid in interpreting materials in the collection and it is not part of our library. No, we do not collect newspapers or newspaper clippings. Sometimes we collect magazines, but they must be relevant to our collection, and they cannot be duplicates of what we already have.

  • As an archive, CIAA concentrates on the collection level rather than on individual items though there are always exceptions.

    In terms of format, we collect documents, photographs and slides, drawings, material and textile samples, models (very rarely), and recordings. We collect materials in both analog and digital formats. In terms of subject, we collect materials that document Bartholomew County’s architecture, landscape architecture, public planning, public art, and graphic design. For a detailed understanding of what CIAA collects, see our Collection Development Policy.

    Please understand that we cannot accept all materials because resources are limited.

  • Please contact us so we can discuss your possible donation. We ask that you allow us to visit you to see the materials rather than bringing them to us.

Can I volunteer for or intern at CIAA?

  • CIAA, from time to time, has volunteer opportunities. They may include

    • Short-term administrative or clerical projects that do not require knowledge of architecture or design but do require a keen attention to detail;

    • Short and long-term inventory and cataloging projects that require knowledge of architecture and design and MS Excel as well as a keen attention to detail; and

    • Short-term digitization projects that require knowledge of scanning software, MS Excel, and Adobe Photoshop as well as keen attention to detail.

    To learn about current volunteer opportunities, contact us via email. In the subject line type, “Volunteer opportunities.” In the body, let us know what type of project you are interested in and qualified for.

  • Our capacity to offer internships depends on both our ability to secure funding and the availability of supervisory staff. Intern projects could include processing collections (which requires knowledge of architecture or design) or metadata remediation. Interns should be enrolled in a certified MLIS program and have completed courses in archives.

    To learn about internship opportunities, contact us via email. In the subject line type, “Internship opportunities.” In the body, let us know what type of project you are interested in and qualified for.