Use Guidelines
for the use of Archives & Special Collections materials

The collections held by Archives and Special Collections contain rare or unique items. In the case of archival or manuscript collections, most items are original documents. To protect our collections we ask our patrons to observe the following guidelines.

• Please provide valid photo identification.
• Do not use pens; only pencils may be used. If you do not have a pencil, archive staff will provide one for you.
• No food or drink is allowed in the Reading Room.
• Do not rest notebooks, tablets or other objects on top of the books, manuscripts, or archival materials.
• Do not attach paper clips or "post-it" notes to the materials. A staff member will provide copy slips if you need to flag a page in a book or a document in a folder.
• When using archival materials, remove one folder from a box at a time. Please maintain the existing order within each folder and box.
• When selecting documents to be photocopied, do not remove the documents to be copied from their folders. Archive staff will provide copy slips for your use.
• Do not mark on the documents or erase existing marks.
• The staff will provide cotton gloves for researchers handling photographs, rare books, or other unique documents.
• Archive staff reserves the right to examine the researcher's briefcase, bags, notebooks, or any other personal property before the researcher leaves the Reading Room.
• Patrons are requested to use cell phones and pagers outside of the reading room.

It is possible to request photocopies and photoduplications of materials held in the Archives and Special Collections when the copies can be produced without any damage to the materials and it is permitted by federal copyright law. All photocopies and photoduplications, such as scans and digital photos, are made by staff.

Photocopies and photoduplications are made for private study, scholarship, or research use of the patron. Photocopies and photoduplications may not be transferred to others, further reproduced, or published without written permission of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln or from the individual or institution that holds the copyright or literary rights of the material.

Not all materials in the Archives and Special Collections may be copied. Exposure to light is a risk to books and papers and many materials are very brittle. Basic handling and photocopying can be detrimental to long term preservation and result in the need for expensive conservation repair.

For a price list of photocopy and photoduplication services, please see our Photocopy and Photoduplication Fee Schedule.

For a price list of image use fees, please see our Publication, Exhibition and Broadcast Fee Statement and Schedule for Images.

The material within the Archives and Special Collections is protected under the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Securing copyright clearance, permission to publish or reproduce materials from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln is the responsibility of the patron or researcher. The researcher or patron assumes all responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights belonging to the author, the author's heirs or assigns, and for obtaining all necessary permissions from the author, heirs or assigns.

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln is not the owner of literary rights or copyright unless such rights have been specifically granted by the author or donor, or their heirs or assigns. The University of Nebraska - Lincoln does not assume any legal responsibility for any infringement of literary, copyright or publication rights belonging to the author, heirs or assigns.

In granting permission to publish materials held in the Archives and Special Collections, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln does not surrender its own right to thereafter publish materials or grant others permission to publish it.

Patrons are requested to use the preferred citation that designates the Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as the repository for any material used in a published work.

Some of the collections held by Archives and Special Collections may have restrictions on access or use. Collections may be restricted based on confidentiality, copyright, condition, or by donor request. Archive staff will explain to researchers the reasons for access restrictions. Patrons requesting access to restricted materials must contact the person or agency imposing the restriction. Access to restricted collections cannot be granted without written authority.