Explore Our Collections
The mission of the Woodson Research Center, like that of its parent body, the Fondren Library of Rice University in Houston, Texas, is to support the institutional, research and public service programs of the University. The Woodson collects, organizes, preserves and describes Rice University archives, rare books, and special collections.
Fondren Library is open to the public for research. Original archival collections and rare books can be used in the Woodson Reading Room located on the 1st floor of the Fondren Library [map].
Please contact staff at woodson@rice.edu or 713-348-2586 for reading room appointments or to inquire about research assistance.
To view our digital and digitized collections online, please visit digitalcollections.rice.edu.
Onsite and Distance Research Assistance
Onsite Research Assistance
After reviewing our finding aids, please contact us via email (woodson@rice.edu) to ask reference questions, request materials and/or book an appointment in our reading room. If requesting specific materials, please tell us the collection name and/or collection number (MS or UA) and the numbers of the boxes that you would like to view. We pull materials based on the box number and not at the folder level. We will work with you to order your boxes and book your time in our reading room. When you arrive, we’ll explain our rules for handling our archival materials.
Distance Research Assistance
If you are unable to come to the Woodson, we might be able to help you with your research needs. Archivists are able to do up to one hour’s work of research for our distance patrons. This includes helping with a research question, scanning, and sharing digital or digitized materials. We will charge $25 for research assistance, which is payable via credit card through Rice University’s invoicing system. If you need high-resolution or oversized scanning, please email us for pricing information. Any research assistance that is more than one hour worth of work requires a proxy researcher. If we are able, we can connect you with someone.
If you are requesting us to share digitized or digital materials with you, we will need you to fill out a duplication of materials form, which also acknowledges copyright research responsibilities. We will contact you about your request via email.
If we share digitized or digital materials with you, we will share them via our file sharing service and they will be “view only” for 14 days. We will share up to 10 audio/video files or one archival information packet (AIP) at a time.
If you need to learn more about publishing our materials, please contact us via email.
Research appointments are required. Please contact us:
Email: woodson@rice.edu
Phone: (713) 348-2586
Mailing Address:
Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library MS 44
Rice University
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892