- Archives
- Records Management
- FIPPA
- Digital preservation
- Resources
- About
- Mission, vision and values
- Contact us
- Feedback and comments
- Our blog
- Archival Film Flashes Back to 70s Student Life
- Manuscript Traces SFU's Architectural History
- Early University News Publications Now Digitally Available
- Digitized Programs Commemorate SFU’s Opening & Installation Ceremonies
- Archives Celebrates Fall Convocation with Release of Digitized Programs
- Films Capture Visual History and Sentiment of Time Gone By
- Lost and Found: Simon Fraser Letters
- Oral History Provides Glimpse into Mind of SFU’s First Chancellor Gordon Shrum
- Early SFU Photos Tell a Story That Frames Our World
- Aerial Photos Capture Campus Landscape & Photographer’s Legacy
- You have what...?!! and other interesting things you didn't know about the SFU Archives
- Charting the course of history: documenting SFU's early days from the student perspective (Part 1)
- Charting the course of history: documenting SFU's early days from the student perspective (Part 2)
- Helping others find their history in the future: Preserving the records of the Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry at SFU
- Preserving the sparks of global revolution in the Adbusters Media Foundation fonds
- Reflections of a co-op student
- Debunking popular myths and conspiracies with the Barry Beyerstein fonds
- In "The Beginning...": First student film returns to SFU
- "Got any pictures of Terry Fox?"
- My summer in the archives: a co-op placement retrospective
- Seeing the world through Arthur Erickson's eyes
- Beer (records) in the Archives!
- Quartet in the Quadrangle: PSQ Records Come to SFU
- Navigating silences and filling gaps: finding Black stories in the Archives
- Boxes, boxes, and more boxes: my summer co-op at SFU Archives
- Finding queer joy in the SFU Archives: Out On Campus records now available
- Glossary
Research
Advance preparation helps to ensure a smooth visit.
The SFU Archives Acquisition Mandate describes the kinds of materials that are accepted into our holdings.
To facilitate research on topics where our holdings have a concentration of content, there are subject-based, thematic research guides to aid research on women's rights, campus politics, SFU arts and culture resources, and the history of brewing in British Columbia.
If you are ready to browse our complete holdings, visit SFU Atom, our online database containing descriptions of archival records held at the Archives.
The University Archives encourages researchers to visit the Archives in person and make notes from the material that they consult.
Working in the Reading Room
When coming to do research, be prepared to:
- complete a one-time researcher registration form.
- provide information about your local and permanent residence and to show some form of photo identification.
The following rules apply when working in the research room:
- Food and drink are not permitted.
- Coats, briefcases and bags must be left in the designated area.
- All archival materials are non-circulating and must stay in the research room.
- Only pencils are allowed; you may not use ink for taking notes. Laptops and other portable computers are also permitted provided they are not placed in physical contact with archival materials.
- Avoid damage to materials by not leaning on, folding, writing on, tracing or otherwise impacting them. Notify staff of anything needing preservation attention.
- Photocopies and scans must be made by Archives staff. Researchers may take their own digital photographs of research materials with prior approval of the Reference Archivist on duty. We regret that digital copies cannot be made to digital storage devices provided by the researcher.
Resources to begin your research
Internet connection
In order to use an SFU wifi connection, you will need to set up Eduroam while you are still at your home institution. Please read about Eduroam and the nature of this service on the Eduroam website.
SFU Atom
Before visiting or contacting SFU Archives, consult SFU Atom, our online portal, to determine if the records you wish to consult are in our holdings.
To understand their access status review the Search Tips.
Using SFU Archives.pdfThis detailed guide is written for the first-time researcher who is unfamiliar with accessing archival material. It provides a more detailed explanation of how archival records are organized and searched.
Research inquiries
We receive inquiries in person, by telephone, by conventional mail and by e-mail. See the contact us page for hours and contact information.
The large volume of inquiries relative to staff and processing priorities means that we are only able to undertake very limited research on behalf of researchers unable to visit the Archives. We will do our best to answer queries given a 30-minute research limitation per inquiry. Depending on staff workloads, it could take up to 20 working days before your query is addressed.
Duty Reference Archivist
778-782-3805
archives@sfu.ca
Protection of Privacy and Copyright
We are required by law to protect specific types of information, disclosure of which would cause harm or be an unreasonable invasion of privacy. Where a researcher requests access to files containing personal information, it might be necessary to enter into a Research Agreement with the Archives.
Reproductions, Fees and Copyright
There are restrictions on making copies of archival material, and there may be fees associated with producing some reproductions. You should also be aware of copyright restrictions on archival material.