Getting Started

Appointments and Requests to Access Collections

Patrons wishing to conduct research in ONE Archives' collections are required to register and make an appointment in our Specialized Research Collections Request System (Aeon).

Note: you can review your requests by logging into your account, and items requested from ONE Archives will remain in the "Awaiting Request Processing" status until you arrive

 

Reading Room Guidelines

Food and drinks are not allowed in the reading room. Visitors will also be asked to leave their backpacks, purses, jackets, etc. in lockers. Laptops, cell phones, and cameras are allowed at ONE, but personal scanners are prohibited.  For more information regarding access to ONE Archives' collection, please see our additional terms and conditions.  Find additional guidelines related to reproducing materials from ONE Archives at the USC Libraries here.

 

Statement on Inclusive and Anti-racist Description

ONE Archives at the USC Libraries contains a wealth of archival materials collected and donated over many decades. Our current archivists and librarians charged with stewarding these materials attempt to describe them in ways that are respectful and equitable. However, we acknowledge that this goal has not always been successful, especially in the earlier years of our collecting activities. Our patrons may encounter language that is racist, sexist, xenophobic, and/or homophobic in our finding aids. Some instances of this language originated with our staff and others with the creators and/or donors of these records--the latter is often a reflection of the times in which these individuals lived. This potentially offensive language is often included in finding aids (for example in folder titles) because it provides context, and standard archival practice dictates that we retain these contexts for evidentiary and informational purposes. 

When we encounter such language that can be changed (language written by an archivist as opposed to the creator of a collection), we will make all attempts to balance preserving the historical context with description that acknowledges the oppressive or otherwise problematic language. In so doing, we hope to create description that is inclusive and antiracist. This will be an ongoing process, and we encourage our patrons to alert us to any language they find that can be interpreted as racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise offensive or problematic. We recognize that language is constantly evolving and we are committed to regularly assessing our descriptive practices. We are currently exploring different tools for gathering suggested corrections to our archival description. For now, please send an email to askone@usc.edu with your suggested corrections. Suggested corrections may address oppressive language in a finding aid or they could report inaccuracies, such as misspellings, incorrect dates or misidentified individuals, places, or events.

 

For questions regarding research, appointments, and collections, please call 213.821.2771 or email askone@usc.edu.