See the Hours & Location page to be sure the Research Room will be open when you plan to visit, and review the While You’re Here page for information about registration and available services. Request a Research Consultation to get one-on-one guidance from a Reference archivist by phone or email.

Check our online catalog to see what collections we have. It will save time if you bring a list of collections, boxes, and call numbers for materials you need. Many catalog entries include links to container lists or finding aids with further details about the collections’ contents. These links are located at the bottom of the records. If there is no finding aid, you can contact us for more information.

Plan to arrive early and spend more time than you estimate. We are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Our last box retrieval from the collections is at 4:00 pm.

Meals are not available for purchase at ADAH, but there are many restaurants nearby. You can also bring a lunch and eat in the Hale Room, where there are snack machines and a microwave available for your use. Food and drinks are not allowed in the Research Room.

We do not allow bags, purses, or enclosed zipper binders inside the Research Room. Any items not following our guidelines will need to be locked in lockers we provide outside of the Research Room. Please read on for further guidelines on allowed items.

Items allowed in the Research Room:

• Pencils
• Laptops (without the case)
• 3-ring binders
• Folders, not including expandable folders
• Cell phones (on silent only; all calls must be taken outside of the Research Room)
• Sweaters and light jackets
• Digital cameras
• Flash drives

Items NOT allowed in the Research Room:

• Food and drinks
• Ink pens
• Briefcases
• Book or tote bags
• Backpacks
• Laptop bags
• Purses
• Expandable folders
• Overcoats and raincoats
• Umbrellas

Viewing Original Records

When viewing original records, further precautions are required to protect the documents. You will be asked to return items not on the following list to your locker or place them in a tray on the research desk. Materials will be inspected by staff as you enter and leave the restricted area. The ADAH facilities are monitored by a closed-circuit camera system and security personnel.

Items allowed in the restricted area of the Research Room:

• Note cards
• Loose-leaf paper
• Laptops (without the case)
• Pencils
• Cell phone (on silent)
• Digital camera (with permission only; be sure to tell staff which collections you want images of, and not use flash settings)

If you have any questions, contact us at 334-353-4648 or reference.archives@archives.alabama.gov.