Research Access
The Museum encourages the use of its collections for research and grants access to collections to researchers and students from a variety of disciplines. Access to the collections is by appointment only. Appointments are scheduled by contacting the curator in charge of the collection you desire to view.
Researchers interested in visiting the collections should read the Access to Collections Policy and fill in and return the Access to Collections Form at least three (3) weeks prior to your requested date of arrival. Please include a brief CV and a statement of research objectives with the form. Student researchers should provide a letter of support from a faculty member from their home institution who is advising them on their research project. Access requests may be sent by fax, email or regular mail to the curator.
Destructive Analysis
The Museum of Anthropological Archaeology encourages the use of its collections for research in all fields and with a wide variety of research methods. However, the Museum must balance the use of its collections with its commitment to hold its collections in perpetuity for the general public. Proposals for destructive analyses of any of the Museum’s collections are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Requests must be approved by the relevant curator of the collections and by the Museum’s Executive Committee. The Museum will respond to requests in a timely manner.
Please see the Destructive Analysis Policy and Procedures for information about applying to the Museum for such research. The Museum cannot be responsible for selecting materials to be sampled. Therefore, researchers may have to schedule a preliminary visit to determine sample materials. Please make arrangements for your preliminary visit by following the Research Access section above.
Collections for U-M Classrooms
University faculty and Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) are encouraged to use the Museum's collections in classroom teaching. If materials requested cannot travel across campus, arrangements may be made to have the materials viewed at the Museum or our off-site storage area. Arrangements to borrow materials for use in classroom activities should be made by contacting the Collections Manager.
Public Access to Collections
Members of the public, non U-M school groups, and community organizations interested in viewing specific collections of the Museum should contact the curator in charge of the collections.
Photographing Museum Collections
The Museum of Anthropological Archaeology will, in certain instances, grant permission to individuals to take photographs of objects in its permanent collections that are not ordinarily accessible to the general public. Requests to take photographs must be sent with the Access to Collections Form. Please read the full Photographing Museum Collections Policy before submitting requests.
Loans of Museum Collections
Loans of research materials or objects for exhibition purposes are made by the Museum to qualified institutions. Loans to individuals are not permitted. Please see the Loan Policy for further information. Loan requests must be arranged at least a month (30 days) in advance. Please contact the Collections Manager to discuss all loans.
