Research Center Hours

Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday
10:00 a.m. to noon
12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday
12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday
Closed

Street Parking and Municipal Parking Lots Are Available Near the Museum.

To provide you with these unique materials offered in the Research Center, we require that you sign a copy of this agreement when you use the Research Center to ensure that you understand and abide by the following regulations:

Research Center Regulations
  1. Sign-In when first entering the Research Center.
  2. Briefcases, bags, purses, backpacks, coats, newspapers, large notebooks, and any other bulky items must be placed in one of the available lockers. Only paper and pencil may be brought into the reading room. No pens of any sort are permitted. Permission is required for the use of a portable computer, digital camera, tape recorder, or video recorder by a researcher.
  3. Books, manuscripts, and other archived materials are retrieved from the stacks by the staff only. Please provide the call number and brief title for a book and the exact title and box/folder required in a manuscript collection. No special form for this purpose is required. Only one box of materials on my table at a time is permitted.
  4. Use great care when handling books, manuscripts, and other archived materials. Avoid damaging, marking, bending, tearing, misfiling, or removing any materials. If you find an item that appears to be out of order, please bring it to the attention of a staff member. Smoking is prohibited. Food and beverages are not allowed in the Research Center.
  5. Agree to abide by the access restrictions to collections. If I find legally confidential information, including social security numbers or student grades in an unrestricted collection, I will report this to Research Center staff. Unless authorized, I will not copy or use in a published or unpublished work any such confidential information. I assume full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, confidentiality, and copyright which may be involved in the use of archival materials.
  6. When you finish your research, please bring all materials to the staff member on duty, and inform that staff member whether you intend to return.
  7. Photocopying will be done only by staff. Not all materials are in a condition that will withstand the photocopying process. No fragile, oversize, or restricted materials will be available for copying. The Archivist has final authority to decide which materials are suitable for photocopying. Photocopies are provided for study purposes only. Photocopies may not be published, nor may they be transferred to any other person or institution without written permission from the Archivist of the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum Research Center.
  8. Publication Permission. Provisions of the Copyright Act (PL 94-553), effective 1 January 1978, provide statutory protection for all writings from the date of creation whether or not they are formally copyrighted. This law extends copyright protection to all unpublished works now protected under common law. It is imperative that researchers obtain permission for the publication of material, as penalties for copyright violation are severe.

    Permission to publish material from the Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum Research Center must be obtained in writing from the Archivist of the Research Center. Please include detailed information on materials to be cited and the plans for publication.

  9. Research Center materials may not be marked, damaged, or altered in any way, and may not be removed from the premises. Self-adhesive Post-itä–type notes may not be used. I understand that Research Center has the right to inspect all personal property before I leave the facility. The Research Center has the right to detain any researcher suspected of unauthorized damage or removal of any archival materials. Wisconsin Statute 943.61 provides for severe penalties for mutilation or theft of library materials.
  10. Fees. There is a $3.00 per day onsite fee for use of the Research Center. Members of the Waukesha County Historical Society may use the Research Center any time during regular business hours if they present their cards at time of research. Research via mail and email is available. There is a $10.00 per hour fee for each inquiry via these methods. This is in addition to photocopy and postal charges. Photocopies: Standard size, 8.5” x 11” and 8.5” x 14” photocopies are available at .20 per copy. 11” x 17” copies are also available at .40 per copy. Photographs from the collection may also be reproduced. Ask a staff member for a copy of the Photographic Service Policy and Reproduction Fee Schedule.
Failure to abide by any of the foregoing regulations will result in termination of privileges and/or prosecution as appropriate.

Understanding Change

With changing times comes changing regulations, or rather, enforcing the regulations already in place. We thank you for your interest in using the Research Center and the useful resources it has to offer you. We make these regulations known to you to make you aware of the expectations before you visit the Research Center. We ask that you abide by these regulations to ensure that our historic material and information will continue to last and that all who visit the Research Center will have a pleasant experience. If you have questions, please contact me. Thank you for your cooperation.



To Our Community & Beyond…

The Research Center serves as a valuable local resource for museum exhibit research, family history, and background information on businesses, buildings, organizations, and community happenings throughout Waukesha County. It also provides national and international service on much of the same types of requests. Service is a fraction of the equation, while the material itself and the information it contains is the most important product we provide. Our historic documents and information have affected multitudes of lives over the years. This is due to the efforts of ourselves and even more so, of our predecessors. Not everything of value is available online. Our facility is a treasure trove of historically significant information such as original naturalization papers, school records, photographs, diaries, letters, and numerous other collections that are not found elsewhere. While we make highly sought after information available in a convenient location, it is our arrangement and service that makes this information usable in one location. We strive to improve accessibility and longevity to this information everyday. Take a moment and visit the Research Center to see our progress or what you can discover through our information. Let us and others know how we are doing. Express the value of making and keeping this Waukesha County information available. Thank you for your patience, time, and consideration.