If the request is for 20 sheets of paper or less, is not fragile, and has no access restrictions, we will produce low-resolution scans of the items. We currently cannot scan books or other bound materials. We usually deliver the scans via email in a PDF file or via Box if the file is too large for an email attachment. These scans are intended for research purposes only.

If you are unable to visit Historical Collections to view materials and have a time-intensive reference request, please consult the list of independent researchers in the Charlottesville area who may be employed to do in-depth research. This list is maintained by the UVA Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

In accordance with our research policies stated here, our staff can spend no more than 30 minutes searching ArchivesSpace and any relevant finding aids for the individual in question. If we are successful in locating the individual during the above search, we will send the patron a list of resources in our archive where that person appears or may appear. It is then up to the patron to make a research appointment with our staff and proceed with this research in person.

We do not have the staffing capabilities to conduct research on a patron’s behalf. If you are unable to visit Historical Collections to view materials and have a time-intensive reference request, please consult the list of independent researchers in the Charlottesville area who may be employed to do in-depth research. This list is maintained by the UVA Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

About half of the medical artifacts in our collection have been photographed and are available online here. The abstract for each image provides a brief description of the artifact. While we are happy for patrons to make an appointment in our reading room to view specific artifacts, we do not allow patrons to handle certain artifacts due to preservation and safety concerns.

For all questions related to the history of UVA SON or the history of nursing generally, please contact Dominique Tobbell in the Eleanor Crowder Bjoring Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry at dtobbell@virginia.edu

Please direct your inquiry to the UVA Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library via their reference request form.

Our staff members are generalists and do not have expertise in ancient Roman surgical instruments. The instruments in our collection are replicas. The originals are housed at the Naples National Archaeological Museum in Italy. While we are happy to set up an appointment for patrons to come view the instruments, we do not provide lectures or specific workshops on these artifacts. You may find images of the replicas in our collection here. Our online exhibit also contains useful information.

While Historical Collections has an online exhibit chronicling the history of the Anatomical Theatre, the majority of materials featured in the exhibit are housed at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA. Please visit their website here regarding reference and instruction requests.

General information on copyright and other details related to reproduction can be found here. All reproduction requests should be submitted directly to the curator, Meggan Cashwell, mcashwell@virginia.edu for evaluation. Please note that our scanning technology is extremely limited and, depending on the item, we may not be able to provide a high-resolution image.

We do not allow patrons to check out books from our rare shelves and do not make exceptions regardless of publication date. If you would like to view the book in our reading room, please send your request to hsl-historical@virginia.edu to set up a research appointment. Alternatively, and if you are affiliated with UVA, you may submit your request through Interlibrary Loan to see if another repository has a copy that circulates.

All collection development decisions are at the discretion of the curator and in accordance with our collecting priorities, staffing capabilities, and space limitations. We ask that you review our collection development policy first. If, after reading the policy, you feel the item(s) may be of value to Historical Collections, please contact the curator, Meggan Cashwell, at mcashwell@virginia.edu with a detailed description of the item(s) and images when possible. The curator will make an initial assessment based on the information provided and follow up.

Historical Collections and Services staff cannot perform appraisals. The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library maintains a list of appraisers here.

As our space is an active research and work area, we do not allow others to reserve it (including after hours).

Historical Collections sponsors and hosts the History of the Health Sciences lecture series, which occurs twice a year. This series serves the purpose of bringing in an outside scholar who is an expert in the history of medicine. We do not host other events - like lectures or book talks - at this time.