What are the hours of operation for Pogue Special Collections & Archives and what do I need to do before I visit?
Pogue is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. We are closed weekends and the following holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). We are closed for Spring Break, Fall Break, and Winter Break, dates varying year to year. There are occasional planned closures or limited access days throughout the year. We announce these on our homepage.
The first thing you need to do, especially if you are coming in from out of town, is contact our Library Assistant (270-809-6152) and make sure the building will be open to the public the day of your visit. We occasionally have events, such as Murray State Board of Regents meetings, that require us to temporarily limit access. Be sure to contact Murray State Parking Services to obtain a parking permit, or call 270-809-4812 for assistance. We look forward to your visit!
Are your newspaper/collections available online? Where can I find them?
Yes, most of our newspapers and other resources such as The Shield can be found on the Universities Libraries' homepage under Digital Commons. Please note that this is still a work in progress and more collections and artifacts will become available as time allows.
How do I find out more about your special collections holdings?
We have three floors of unique items pertaining to the history and culture of Murray State itself and the wider Jackson Purchase region. You can begin your search at the Special Collections Home tab. If you’re looking for Murray State-specific items, head to the University Archives tab. For other collections, use the Manuscripts tab. Once you’ve identified a box collection you’d like to explore, bring the title and series number to the circulation desk and one of our staff members will retrieve it for you from the stacks.
What do I need to bring with me when I visit Pogue?
Bring a picture ID for signing in at the front desk and a flash drive if you plan to look through microfilm and save images for later use. We do not currently have printing capabilities. Many patrons choose to take photographs of our holdings with a smartphone or digital camera. Bring plenty of change (nothing larger than a five dollar bill) if you want photocopies made of records found in the vertical files or books. In accordance with statewide and campus guidelines regarding the mitigation of the spread of COVID-19, you will also need a mask and you may want to bring your own pencils.
I have a book/photo/artifact that I would like to donate. What is the procedure?
Thank you kindly for thinking of us; we’ll take good care of your item so it can be used by researchers for generations to come. All donations must go through Murray State's Office of Development at 200 Heritage Hall (270-809-3026). You may contact us first to see if we can use your donation here or you may go straight to the Office of Development and have them contact us. If we can add your donation to our collections, you’ll be asked to complete a simple one-page donation form for tax purposes.
How can I access the oral histories online?
We have digital audio files and transcripts for almost all of our Oral Histories. Please understand that some of the original audio is of poor quality and hard to understand. There are some oral histories that we were unable to salvage in digital form as a result. If there is an oral history you would like to hear we may be able to share it with you through email. A gmail account is needed to receive these files. Transcripts can also be emailed by request. Contact the Library Assistant at 270-809-6152 or email msu.specialcollections@murraystate.edu for assistance.
Can I check books out from Pogue?
There are many books that can be checked out from Pogue, generally those from commercial publishers or university presses. However, our genealogy books, rare and irreplaceable books, and a few others are all in-house resources.
Can I check out books through ILL (Interlibrary Loan)?
There are some books that can be checked out through ILL. However, all genealogy and rare books along with a few others are in-house use only. That said, contact the Library Assistant directly at 270-809-6152 and we may be able to scan and email or snail mail part of the book you are interested in, provided that the request falls within copyright law.
Can you help me conduct research on my family history?
If you have some information for us to go on, we are happy to help you track down birth or death dates or find specific newspaper articles. However, Pogue is not staffed to conduct in-depth research on behalf of patrons. County genealogy and historical societies can often provide assistance with more in-depth research projects.
