Contact Information
University Archives
Alkek Library, Room 580
Research by appointment
Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
The University Archives is physically located on the 5th floor of the Alkek Library. In-person and virtual research assistance is generally available Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 4:30pm (excluding holidays and energy conservation days).
Research appointments are required for in-person research to allow time for retrieval of offsite materials, to reserve research space, and to allow staff to sanitize the space between researchers. Walk-in assistance is dependent on staff and space availability, as researchers with appointments are given priority. Masks are encouraged.
To request virtual or in-person assistance, please Ask an Archivist.
Citing archival materials used for research
The nature of archival materials is so varied that it is impractical to use a "one rule fits all" approach. It helps to remember that the goal of citing materials is to direct others to your sources.
Since the University Archives is still under development, there isn't yet a standard for describing all of our materials. Please feel free to ask questions about how to cite the materials - we'll be glad to assist you with gathering content for your citation. Be sure to refer to your style guide for specific information about how to organize the content into an appropriate citation.
- Books, journals, newspapers, and published materialsWhile these materials may be located in the archives, you should still cite them just as you would any other book, journal, newspaper, or published material.
- Vertical file materialsVertical files may contain a variety of sources, including interoffice memos, newspaper clippings, brochures, photographs, and handwritten notes. Describe the item by the title (or by the type of material if there is not title), the author (if available), the date (if available), and use the file name as written on the folder and note that it is a vertical file. Be sure to include the repository and institution: University Archives, Texas State University-San Marcos.
- Processed MaterialsSome of collections have been processed by University Archives staff and have been assigned unique accession numbers. Cite the accession number and the accession title, and then describe the specific item by title, author, and date. Be sure to include the repository and institution: University Archives, Texas State University.
Links to other citation resources
Some universities and archives have written very detailed information about citing archival sources within their particular collections. Check out the following links for suggestions and examples.
Since our archives is still in devleopment, many of our materials are as yet unprocessed but the general guidelines still apply.
- Writing & Citation Style Guides - Alkek Library, TxStateThis general guide to writing and citation style guides contains helpful information.
Potential research topics
There are a number of topics that have yet to be researched and placed within their respective historical contexts. The following subjects are represented in primary resources held by the University Archives (but will likely require additional external research to complete the history):
- College farm
- Campus elementary school
- Campus high school