Updated 1-24-23

Researching at The Strong FAQs
If you are visiting The Strong for research purposes, the following answers to Frequently Asked
Questions will help you plan a successful visit.
Before your visit
If you are not feeling well or have a fever, cough, or other symptoms, please delay your visit until you
no longer have symptoms and have a negative COVID test.
How do I arrange a visit?
● Scholars, students, collectors, and other researchers are welcome to conduct research on site.
For library and archives staff to optimize collections access, please request an appointment atleast two weeks in advance of your arrival. Appointments may be requested online, by phone at585-410-6349, or by sending an email to library@museumofplay.org. Please provide a topic ofresearch and indicate the materials desired and any special needs.
● As of June 25, 2021, the New York State Travel Advisory is no longer in effect. As such, travelers
arriving in New York are no longer required to submit traveler health forms. All travelers,
domestic and international, should continue to follow all CDC travel requirements.
● All travelers, domestic and international, should continue to follow all CDC travel requirements.
● For additional information on accessing collections and policies visit:https://www.museumofplay.org/collections/access-collections
What should I bring?
● You may bring a laptop, digital camera, smartphone, or tablet to take photographs on-site. WiFi
is available.
• The Strong supports the CDC guidelines that indicate masks are encouraged in indoor spaces.
Information regarding the proper wearing of masks can be found on the CDC website.
• In non-public spaces, such as the Reading Room, vaccinated staff, business guests, contractors,partners, etc. may choose to remove their masks, but are asked to remain considerate of theneeds and comfort level of colleagues who may prefer to continue wearing masks wheninteracting face-to-face. If you are in doubt, ask before removing your mask. If you would preferthat staff wear a mask when interacting with you face-to-face, please be sure to communicate
this as well.
How should I prepare for my visit?
● The best preparation requires knowing what materials you would like to see and sending a list
ahead of your time at The Strong. The Researcher Request Form (found on the Research Accesspage) must be submitted two weeks prior to your visit.
● Please refer to the Archives Catalog, Library Catalog, and Online Collections to identify
materials.
● Refer to this guide on how to use the Archives Catalog.
● Advance notice will be required for use of museum objects as well as coordinating with The
Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) for playing video
games. Curators may limit the number of objects made available to researchers, depending on
staff time, object condition, and special handling needs.

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How can I become a research fellow?
● The Strong awards research fellowships to academic professionals, independent scholars,museum scholars, and advanced graduate students at the Masters or PhD level. Fellowships
provide financial support for scholarly play research conducted on site at The Strong inRochester, New York, for periods of study ranging from one to four weeks. For more informationand to apply visit: https://www.museumofplay.org/research-publications/research-fellowships

While you are visiting
Where should I stay?
● You may choose to stay in one of the nearby hotels, bed and breakfasts, or use AirBNB. We
recommend staying in the Park Avenue neighborhood as it is within walking distance of themuseum and features beautiful Victorian homes, restaurants, and businesses. The South Wedgeneighborhood may also be a good area to stay. The nearest hotels are the Hilton Garden Inn andthe Strathallan Doubletree. You could also try HomeAway or VRBO.
Where should I park?
● Parking is provided in the on-site parking garage off Howell Street for $5 a day. Complimentary
parking is provided for research fellows.
1. Enter the museum’s parking garage via Howell Street.
2. Take parking ticket at gate.
3. Carry parking ticket with you into the museum.
4. Insert ticket at self-service parking ticket kiosks near museum entry or visit theadmissions desk to pay for parking. Tickets must be scanned inside the museum toreceive the $5 rate.
5. Do not lose your ticket. Insert validated ticket to exit garage. For more parking
information visit: https://www.museumofplay.org/visit/directions-and-parking
Where can I eat?
● There are restaurants that are within a mile of the museum (check for COVID-19 restrictions orclosures):○ Nourish 585 at The Strong (hours of service vary): https://www.nourish585.com/○ Puppy’s Game Café at The Strong: see Menu
○ Nerdvana (pub fare, with board games and video games) – 50 Adventure Place○ FLX Wienery at ROC Brewing Co. (hot dogs, sausages, burgers, etc.) – 56 S. Union Street○ Owl House (vegan-friendly American plates) – 75 Marshall Street○ Native Eatery and Bar (comfort food, has outdoor tables) – 180 S. Clinton Ave○ Branca Midtown (Italian, pizza) – 280 E. Broad Street○ Original Grain (comfort food, takeout) – 280 E. Broad Street○ Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (barbecue) – 99 Court Street○ Old Toad (British pub fare) – 277 Alexander Street○ Bar Bantum (bistro fare) – 1 S. Clinton Avenue○ Natural Oasis (Ethiopian vegan buffet lunch in a modest setting) – 288 Monroe Avenue○ Park Avenue neighborhood restaurants a little further from the museum○ The Union Stop (small bodega offering fresh produce, bread, groceries, etc.) – 34 S.
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What are the expectations for me as a researcher?
● Researchers must fill out, read, and sign the Use of Collections Materials Agreement (found onthe Research Access page) before receiving any materials or objects in the Reading Room,indicating that they understand and agree to the requirements and restrictions.
● Library staff will make a photocopy of a photo ID to be kept with the Use of Collections
Materials Agreement and the Reference Request Form to document the researcher’s identity
and the collections and objects they used during their visit.
● A member of the Security Team will search the researcher’s bag(s) upon entry to the museum
and upon exit. Researchers will be assigned a locker and padlock for use during their visit.
Outerwear, bags, and other personal effects must be stored in the lockers.
What’s Allowed in the Reading Room
Allowed●●All persons with an appointment toresearch in the library and archives
Museum staff, Board members, otherguests as escorted by a staff member

Not Allowed
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●

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Unscheduled walk-in researchers orvisitors
Guests or family members of researchers
Food, drink (including water), candy,
gum, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or any
other tobacco products
Hand sanitizer or lotion
Weapons

Notes & Related Materials
Allowed●●Loose paper, notebooks, notepads
Pencils and mechanical pencils

Not Allowed●●●

Envelopes, binders, folders
Pens, markers
Post-It notes3Updated 1-24-23

Special Equipment*All equipment must be removed from cases and the cases stored in lockers
Allowed●●

Laptops, smartphones, tablets, cameras
Flatbed scanners without auto-feed

Not Allowed●●Scanners with auto-feed attachments(whether the attachment is disabled ornot)
Flash bulbs or use of flash
photography

Clothing & Personal Effects*Your bag(s) will be searched upon entry to the museum and upon exit
*You may be asked to remove outer clothing that is wet or contains outdoor debris
Allowed●●●●●Sweaters and sweatshirts, indoor
business attire, indoor jackets
Religious headwear and garments
Coin purses or small pocket-sized wallets
Small eye glass cases
Clear plastic bags for storage of small
items, no larger than 10” x 10”

Not Allowed
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Outerwear (overcoats, windbreakers,jackets)Purses, fanny packs, briefcases,suitcases, handbags, backpacks, boxes,bags, equipment bags, containers ofany kindClear plastic bags larger than 10” x 10”
Camera vests

What are the guidelines for using library and archive materials?
● You may take photographs of non-restricted items for personal research use only.
● When working with archival materials we ask that you work with one folder and box at a time toensure that materials are returned to the correct folder and box.
● We ask that all materials be returned 15 minutes prior to closing.
● Additional materials can be requested at designated times throughout the day. Researchers canbegin the day with one archival collection in addition to any library materials. Pull times for
additional collections and materials will be 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Please prioritize thecollections you want to utilize to allow for this schedule.
● To reduce the density in the library and archives in public areas, only two (2) researchers will bein the library and archives at a time. We cannot accommodate researcher guests or family
members in the library and archives.
● Four worktables will be in the Reading Room with one chair at each table to maintain social
distancing. Two (2) Digital Access Workstations will be available to researchers. Work surfaces
will be cleaned throughout the day, prior to opening, and after closing.

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Most of The Strong’s collection does not need to be handled with gloves. Rare exceptions arethings like glass plate negatives or other photographs that we avoid touching. Photographic
materials have mostly been rehoused or sleeved to prevent surface contact.
Clean, dry hands are best for paper and most plastics in the collection. Staff will request that
researchers wash their hands and be conscientious about what they are handling and touching.
If you are uncomfortable touching shared materials without gloves, we will provide nitrile gloves
as a convenience.
ICHEG materials, like games and console controllers, are mostly plastic. Clean, dry hands arebetter than gloves.
Hand sanitizer is alcohol-based and can erase or smear sensitive inks. If you frequently apply
hand sanitizer, be sure that your hands are completely dry from it evaporating or rubbing into
skin before continuing to handle papers with inks. Sensitive items include inkjet-printed paper,color-printed magazines, and color-printed book jackets.

What additional services are available to help me with my research?
● The library offers printing, copying, and scanning (fee incurring) services to assist you with yourresearch. The preservation needs of the materials outweigh technical limitations of thephotocopier or scanner. If museum staff determine that a book or document is too fragile forphotocopying, other arrangements may be made to prevent damage to the material. The Strong
reserves the right to limit the number of pages copied from any item to one-third of its total
content or 30 pages, whichever is less. This applies to bound volumes and to individual files.
● Staff cannot scan materials for researchers until the quarantine period has passed. A small
flatbed scanner will be available for scanning if the researcher does not want to use theircamera, phone, or tablet to take photos of the material.
● The library has digital, video, and audio materials that can be accessed with the equipment wehave on site:○ Computers○ TV and VHS player● Note that there are some restrictions as to what can be accessed.
Will I be able to view the museum exhibits?
● You can view the museum exhibits with a visitor’s badge which must be visible while you are in
the museum. Visiting the butterfly garden or riding the carousel and train will require an extra
ticket purchased separately. If you would like to view the museum’s exhibits during your visit,
please let us know so we can arrange for a badge.
What are the library and archive’s hours?
● The library and archives are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
After your visit
Can I share the product of my research (article, book, etc.)?
● We would love to see your work and add it as part of our library and archival materials.
What are the image licensing rules?
● Please refer to our Image Rights and Reproductions Fee Schedule (found on the Research Accesspage) for any questions on image licensing.

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Who should I contact if I have follow-up questions?
● For any follow-up questions relating to the library and archives, please email
library@museumofplay.org.
● For questions from research fellows please contact Christopher Bensch at
cbensch@museumofplay.org.
Can I share feedback about my visit?
● We would love to have feedback after your visit. Helping researchers have a successful visit isvery important to us.

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