W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library: Start Here

Much of our collections are one-of-a-kind or rare, so they require special levels of security and care. This means we have a few rules that all users are required to adhere to. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

• Please sign in with the person at the front desk before entering the reading room.
• No bags, purses, briefcases or laptop cases are allowed in the reading room. We can provide you a locker in which to store your belongings. 
• Paper and pencils are provided at the reading room desk. Pens are not permitted.
• If you would like to use your laptop, please request permission with the reference librarian. We have two laptops available for patron use. Please check with the person at the reference desk. 
• Food and drinks are not permitted.

The Hoole Library is open to The University of Alabama community and to the public, and is a non-circulating collection. The lobby features exhibitions on a regular basis, and is often host to special events, lectures, and readings.

Organized in 1945 by Dr. William Stanley Hoole, UA Libraries Special Collections was renamed in his honor in 1977. The library moved from the fourth floor of Gorgas Library to its current location in 1993.

Major Holdings

• Manuscript and photo collections from Alabamians
• Rare books about the U.S., the South, or Alabama
• University of Alabama publications
• Sheet music
• Cookbooks, particularly African American and Southern
• Comic books

Location

Mary Harmon Bryant Hall, on the University of Alabama campus, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Hours

MWF 9-5 and TR 9-8; Exceptions:

• Summer I and II: MTWF 9-5 and R 9-7
• Interim and when classes aren't in session: M-F 9-5

More Information

205-348-0500 | archives@ua.edu | library website

1. Do I need to make an appointment? No. The reading room is open at the hours indicated, and someone is available to help you. However, you are welcome to make an appointment or contact us before your visit to make sure the materials you want to see will be on reserve for you.
2. Can I check out materials from Hoole? No. Part of the reason materials are here is so we can give them extra care -- climate and security. You'll have to use them in our reading room.
3. How do I request materials in the reading room? Tell the person working at the reference desk what kind of resource you want to see, and they'll give you the appropriate request form. Our materials are housed on site. 
4. Do I need to wear gloves? Probably not, unless you're looking at photographs. Washing your hands before you come into the reading room should be sufficient.
5. Can I take pictures? Yes. You'll need to fill out a form (ask the person working at the reference desk), in which you agree to use the images only for your own research purposes. If you need to request a high-res image or ask for permission to publish it, see our policies page, specifically the section Imaging and Digitization. Please don't take pictures of our space or patrons.

We've been hard at working creating subject-based research portals for our materials, and we're proud to introduce them here. See the list at the Research Portals page on the website.