Blogs

Appointments for WSU affiliates will be available in 2-hour sessions (10-2 or 2-4), Monday through Thursday.

• Appointments must be made at least 2 business days in advance to allow us to retrieve your materials and quarantine them before your arrival.

• Appointments are available from 10-12 or 2-4. No researchers will be able to remain in the Reading Room during the midday break.

• We will schedule Reading Room appointments to enable us to complete our material quarantine and cleaning process.

• Visitors must complete the Campus Daily Screener. Please arrive on time as staffing is scheduled around your appointment.

• Researchers may request up to 6 boxes (please consult with archivist). No additional boxes can be pulled during your visit.

• Our research space only allows safe distance for a finite number of researchers, so if we are at capacity, we will help you select an alternate day/time for your appointment.

During your visit

• Researchers must wear a mask to enter the building and at all times during their visit. An archivist will greet you when you arrive and scan your QR code confirmation of Campus Daily Screener. Please make sure to keep a 6-foot distance from all others in the building. You will have a designated seat in the Reading Room to ensure a safe distance.

• Restrooms are located on either side of the Reading Room. Before touching materials, wash hands thoroughly. Alcohol-based sanitizers can damage documents.

• Additional Reading Room guidelines apply.

Please do not travel to the library if you have not received an appointment confirmation email from us. If you are not feeling well, we are happy to reschedule your appointment for everyone’s safety.

If you require more than one appointment, please discuss this with an archivist before you schedule your visit.

We recommend downloading a pdf scanning app for your phone or tablet in order to quickly make digital surrogates of material. As always, material cannot be photocopied and our current staffing model does not allow for same-day scanning requests.

1. What is the best way to learn more about the Reuther’s collections remotely?

Please start by visiting our finding aid search at http://archives.wayne.edu or by using the advanced search bar at the top right of this page.

2. I’m having a hard time navigating your finding aids online. Can I talk to an archivist about my topic before I have boxes selected?

Yes! We’re happy to offer advice on search terms or how to find the collections you might need. Email reutherreference@wayne.edu. We are also able to speak with you via Teams (or Zoom if you prefer).

3. How much material can I have scanned and sent to me remotely?

In order to help as many people as possible, we may need to limit researchers to 10 folders per request. While it is certainly possible to ask for more than 10 folders, you may receive material in several phases. Please speak with an archivist if you need assistance narrowing your request or prioritizing materials.

4. Is the Reuther currently supporting classes or offering class visits?

We are available for remote class visits and (beginning in fall), in-person visits with a limit on attendees. Please email @meghan.courtney@wayne.edu to talk about your needs.

5. What are archivists doing if they’re not available in the reading room?

Most of the Reuther's work is continuing as normal. In addition to serving patron research requests remotely, staff continue to apply metadata, work on arrangement and description, develop classroom tools, work with donor organizations, conduct oral histories, produce podcasts, write blog posts, practice digital preservation, and reach out to potential material donors. If you would like to collaborate beyond a simple research request, please reach out.

6. What if I have material I’d like to donate to the Reuther?

Our field archivist Louis Jones would love to discuss your donation. Please contact him at louis.jones@wayne.edu

7. When will the reading room open to researchers outside of WSU?

We expect to update our policies soon. As access changes, we will post notices here and on our social media accounts, listed at the top left of this page.

The Walter P. Reuther Library seeks the interviewees (or heirs thereof) in our “Black Workers in the Labor Movement Oral History Project” in order to make transcripts available to our researchers online. As a resource that has been widely used in the past, we are confident that online access will spur a greater level of research.  read more »

Detroit’s Black citizens have faced a long, complicated history of struggle and perseverance. While the voices of Black individuals are generally underrepresented in archives, Reuther Library has a number of collections that help document this history in varied formats and perspectives, and we've added more in recent years. Here are descriptions of just a few of these notable collections:  read more »