Frequently Asked Questions

Libraries house and loan out published materials like books, audiovisual materials, etc. University Archives house one-of-a-kind materials relevant to the history of the supporting institution or the subject focus of the University Archives.

Both walk-in and scheduled appointment visits are available, Monday - Friday, between 9 am and 4:30 pm. Appointments can be scheduled by phone (808) 675-3868 or email archives@byuh.edu.

Requests will be accommodated as staff can, and we suggest contacting the University Archives at least 24-48 hours before your desired appointment time.

We are in the Joseph F. Smith Library Building, which is building #33 on this campus map. Enter the building and turn left. At the end of the hallway, turn right. Halfway down this second hallway, you will see a narrow staircase on your left. We are at the top of those stairs. Please note that we are not ADA-compliant. If you cannot negotiate stairs, don't hesitate to contact us in advance, and we will arrange to work with you in an accessible location.

The best place to park is the Main Parking Lot just above building #2 on this campus map. There is no charge for parking in this lot.

The Joseph F. Smith Library Catalog will let you find many items housed in the University Archives. After you perform your search, look in the Location field for “University Archives.” Most of our items are only findable using our internal finding aid, which can only be used in our Reading Room.

In brief, materials relevant to the history of the Church College of Hawaii and Brigham Young University–Hawaii, as well as the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii and the Pacific region in particular. For more details, click the “Collections” link on the University Archives webpage.

Unfortunately, we do not have the staff to conduct your research for you. Doing research in an archive can be time-consuming, so please plan ahead.

Archival research is not a “fast-food” type of experience. It would be best if you planned on at least one hour, and you could spend many hours, depending on the nature of your research.

The University Archives are open to the general public as well. Please bring a photo ID with you and be willing to abide by the Reading Room Rules posted elsewhere.

Our Reading Room Rules will give you the specifics, but you may bring pencils, writing paper, and a laptop. All other materials must be stored in a locker we provide free of charge.

No self-service copying is available. Most documents and photographs may be scanned, and the digital file can be emailed to the patron at no charge. Please do not expect immediate delivery. Other items, such as video or audio files, may need to be copied onto media by the Academic Multimedia Lab, also known as the AML or previously known as the “Copy Center.” In that event, you must work with the AML regarding costs and delivery times.

Our copyright policy is located under “Policies” on the University Archives website. You may use the materials for non-profit and educational purposes, such as personal research, teaching, and private study. Any other use requires written permission.

University Archives materials do not circulate.

We will retrieve the materials from you and make them available when you return on another day.

Please contact the university librarian for permission to use archival materials for any non-educational use.

Please read our Donation Policy under the Policies page on the University Archives homepage.

We are not able to assess monetary value of materials.

Generally, you should contact a professional service to do this. If you would be willing to donate the original to the University Archives and if the materials fit our Collection Development Policy, we could make arrangements to provide you a digital copy.

Because museums and archives house unique, irreplaceable items in their collections, they do not allow materials to leave them unless they loan them to another museum for a short-term display.