The Museum of Natural and Cultural History welcomes and encourages the use of its collections for research, educational, and artistic purposes.
Access to collections is by appointment only. Requests for access must be approved by that collection’s director (see sidebar at right) and should be arranged at least one month in advance. The collection areas are available for access Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We will make every effort to accommodate your request. However, circumstances sometimes require us to restrict access to some materials.
For Research Purposes
Researchers who would like access to the collections must provide a brief statement describing their project and scope of work, and submit this via email to the Director of Collections. Additionally, student researchers should provide a letter of support from a faculty member at their home institution who is advising them on their research project. Access will then be approved by the Director. For photography of objects during a research visit, please see Use of Images and Photography and Video Permissions below. Please submit requests at least one month in advance. Requests may be sent via fax, email, or regular mail.
For Educational Purposes
Instructors and faculty members may request tours of collections areas for educational purposes and to access specific objects in the collection for instructional purposes. Requests must be sent to the appropriate Director of Collections and Visitor Experience staff at least one month in advance. For use of collections in class projects and other assignments, faculty should begin working with museum staff as soon as possible in order to meet the scheduling requirements of the class. Learn more on our UO Teaching Resources page.
For Tours
The museum supports collection tours for university classes, community organizations, tribal members, members of the public, and for non-UO school groups. Tour groups are limited in size, and must be accompanied by a museum staff member at all times. These requests must be sent to the appropriate Director of Collections and Visitor Experience staff at least one month in advance.
For Destructive Analysis
The museum encourages the use of its collections for research using a variety of methods, however, the museum must uphold its responsibility to preserve collections for future generations. Destructive analysis requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and require the approval of the Collections Committee. Please submit requests to the appropriate Director of Collections at least one month in advance. If the collection is federally-owned, the researcher must also obtain permission from the specific federal agency; this information should be included with the request.
For Loans
Loans of research material or objects for exhibition purposes are only made to qualified institutions; loans are not permitted to individuals. Loan requests must be arranged at least one month in advance and must be submitted to the appropriate Director of Collections.
Use of Images and Photography and Video Permissions
To request use of museum images or to photograph or film objects in collections, contact the appropriate collections director:
Pamela Endzweig, Anthropological Collections, endzweig@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5120
Edward Davis, Paleontological Collections, edavis@uoreogn.edu or 541-346-3461
For other photography requests, contact the museum at mnch@uoregon.edu or 541-346-3024.
Approval is granted on a case-by-case basis depending on content, space availability, staff time, and security needs.
