What is here
The University Archives & Special Collections, housed in Halvorsen Library, keeps the permanent record of Porter and material on the region's history: institutional records, course catalogs and yearbooks back to the founding, decades of the student newspaper, tens of thousands of photographs, architectural drawings of the campus, faculty and alumni papers, oral-history recordings with longtime staff and community members, and topical collections on regional manufacturing, labor, education, and rural life. Alongside it are teaching collections — design objects and product prototypes, historic tools and technologies, textiles, geological and material samples — used in courses and exhibitions.
Using it for a project
You do not need to be a history major or a graduate student. Undergraduates use the archives for course papers, capstones, a documentary, a design project referencing the campus's history, or a club's anniversary. Search the online finding aids to see what exists, then email or book an appointment; original material is used in the supervised reading room (no pens, no bags, one folder at a time — staff explain the handling rules, which exist because most of this is unique and irreplaceable). An archivist will help you translate a research question into which boxes to pull, and many students find this is the most hands-on research they do at Porter.
Digitization, donations and citation
A portion of the photographs, publications, and oral histories is already digitized and searchable online; you can request scanning of additional items, subject to their physical condition and any copyright or privacy restrictions, usually for a small fee and a turnaround of a few weeks. The archives accept donations of records, photographs, and objects that document Porter or the region — contact staff before bringing material so they can assess it and complete a deed of gift rather than leaving things at the desk. When you use archival material in published or public work, cite it with the collection name and box/folder as staff specify, and check whether reproduction rights are needed.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.