Rules and conditions of use

Rules of Use for Special Collections & Archives

UC Irvine Libraries - Special Collections & Archives welcomes students, staff, faculty, independent researchers, and community members from around the world. Most of our materials are non-circulating (no materials can be checked out). All users must be registered in the Aeon online registration system prior to using collections. Users must be at least 18 years old or accompanied by an adult with valid photo identification. Materials should be requested in advance

The vast majority of SCA materials do not circulate and can only be consulted in our two reading rooms:

  • Special Collections & Archival materials can be consulted in the Verle and Elizabeth Annis Reading Room on the 5th floor of the Langson Library (LL525)
  • OC&SEAA cataloged books and vertical files in the Southeast Asian Archive can be consulted in the Orange County & Southeast Asian Archive (OC & SEAA) Center (LGSC 104)

Reading room and viewing regulations

The Verle and Elizabeth Annis Reading Room is reserved for individuals using Special Collections & Archives materials. The Annis Reading Room seats 24 users.

The public computer in the Annis Reading Room is reserved for users accessing online resources that support in-person research needs such as Library Search and the OAC, and the document scanner is reserved for flat, loose-leaf document scanning only. There are Laptops and iPads available for check out near the circulation desk in the lobby of Langson Library if needed.

All personal property should be placed in a cubby (this includes briefcases, purses, backpacks, laptop cases, bulky notebooks, and water bottles). Only laptops/tablets, smartphones, blank white paper, and pencils are permitted at the tables. Bulky or heavy coats and jackets should be stored in a locker or on the coat rack.

The following items are not permitted in the reading room:

  • Food or drink
  • Pens or highlighters
  • Chewing gum
  • Electronic scanners
  • Notebooks
  • Binders
  • Folders
  • Stick-on notes

Pencils and note paper can be provided by reading room desk staff.

Users may access one folder of manuscript material at a time, one box at a time; support foam must be used with all books. The order and arrangement of materials must be preserved; please notify the desk attendant of any irregularities.

All material must remain in plain view on the reading room tables and be kept as flat as possible. Nothing may be placed on material, except book weights.

Please maintain quiet in deference of your fellow researchers. All technology should be set to silent or vibrate. Should you need to take a phone call, please do so in the hallway, away from the door. The Reading Room is often very quiet; however, due to restricted space, conversation may occur for reference consultation, exhibit planning, class instruction, and other unforeseen uses. Reading Room staff will do their best to notify patrons in advance of any disruptions. Please note: If you have a medical issue that requires exception to these rules, please notify the staff member at the desk and ask for assistance or accommodation.

Sensitive and personal information in collections

Please note that manuscript collections and archival records may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under state, federal, and/or international right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g. the use of libelous statements or the invasion of privacy) for which the UC Irvine Libraries assumes no responsibility. As a user of these collections, you agree to make no notes or other record of privacy-protected personally identifiable information found within archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose.

In the event that you encounter materials that contain sensitive or confidential information, such as social security numbers or other personally identifiable information, please bring the materials to the attention of a staff member. By using these collections, you assume all responsibility for potential infringement of privacy in your use of the material, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless The UC Irvine Libraries and the University of California, its agents and employees against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses arising out of your use of collections.

Photography in the reading room policy

UCI Special Collections & Archives is pleased to allow the use of digital cameras (smartphone cameras) on a controlled basis to facilitate the research needs of our users. The following policy outlines the necessary expectations and requirements for use of digital cameras in our reading rooms, which is subject to copyright laws, donor-imposed restrictions, and specific conditions and arrangements for preservation.

  • We allow photography of most collections in our reading rooms but flash must be disabled
  • We do not allow personal scanners, tripods, flash equipment, extension cords, or special lighting
  • Some collections have donor-imposed restrictions that prohibit duplication in whole or in part. Photographing these collections is prohibited
  • Photographs are for personal study purposes only and may not be reproduced, donated or sold to another repository, published, or exhibited

Some collections have donor-imposed restrictions that prohibit duplication in whole or in part. Photography is prohibited for these collections without express consent of their respective heirs/copyright holders:

  • The Jacques Derrida papers
  • Portions of the Paul de Man papers and the Catherine Malabou Papers where correspondence with Jacques Derrida appears
  • The Margaret Millar papers

Fragile, damaged, or restricted items will not be duplicated in any way. If an item is known to have an accessible digital surrogate, users will be referred to that version of the item.

We also offer duplication services for users.

Appropriate care and handling of materials

  • Materials must be handled properly and with great care.
  • Bound volumes must be supported in a book cradle; no pressure can be applied to the bindings.
  • Loose manuscript material must remain in its folder and kept in order at all times. Documents must be kept flat on the table, and cannot be held up to obtain a better image. Cameras must not be left to rest on top of materials. If leaves are fastened together, please see a desk attendant before proceeding.
  • Items in Mylar sleeves may not be removed from their sleeves.
  • No pictures may be taken of the room itself, other readers, or the staff.
  • Users may not stand on chairs, place materials on the floor, or rearrange furniture to get a better image.

Permissions & Copyright

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17 United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a patron makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that patron may be liable for copyright infringement.

What does this mean?

It means that UC Irvine Special Collections and Archives provides any duplicates (photocopies, photographic copies, etc.) of materials from its collections solely for your personal research use under terms specified by U.S. copyright law.

It means that you do not have the right to republish, reproduce, display, distribute, broadcast, digitize and post on the World Wide Web, donate to another repository, offer for sale, or in any other way distribute these duplicates, or a portion thereof, in excess of fair use as defined by copyright law, without securing appropriate permissions(pdf) from the copyright holder.

You may certainly, however, quote from the duplicated materials in your own writings without permission to the degree permitted by the U.S. copyright statute cited above.

What if I do want to publish something I've had duplicated?

In order to publish, display, or in any way further distribute any duplicates of materials obtained from Special Collections and Archives, you are solely responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions from copyright holders to the extent required by the U.S. copyright law.

Please note that while Special Collections and Archives owns the materials in our collections, we usually do not own the copyright to these materials, except where it has been explicitly transferred to the University of California. You are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of materials and obtaining permission to use material from the copyright holder (owner of the intellectual property as defined by U.S. copyright law).

When the University of California is not the copyright holder, Special Collections and Archives cannot grant or deny permission to publish or distribute materials.

How do I find information on the copyright holder?

Although Special Collections and Archives is not the copyright holder for materials in most manuscript collections, we can provide you with information that we have available regarding copyright holders for the material you've cited. We cannot, however, warranty the accuracy of such information and shall not be responsible for any inaccurate information. Special Collections and Archives will not do research concerning the existence and/or whereabouts of copyright holders.

The U.S. Copyright Office provides information about How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work(pdf). If you are unable to identify or locate the current copyright owner of a copyrighted work, the copyrighted materials may be called an "orphan work." Columbia University Libraries and the Society of American Archivists(pdf) provide information on documenting your effort to search for copyright owners and potentially using orphan works.

Is there any additional information on how to find Copyright and Fair Use resources?

Copyright and fair use are of special concern in higher education and research. The University of California provides resources for both creators and users of copyrighted materials on this Copyright page. The UCI Libraries also provides a Copyright and Fair Use Resources page which can help you find answers to common questions about copyright and fair use. These resources are intended as a guide to copyright and should not be taken as legal advice.

How do I acknowledge the source of the material?

Please acknowledge "University of California, Irvine Special Collections and Archives" as the source of the material. We appreciate receiving a copy of any published work that features material from the collections.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, we strongly recommend citing any additional information about sources consulted in archival collections, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Loan Policy

On occasion, we honor requests from other libraries, museums, and archives that seek to display materials from the collection in an exhibition. These requests are limited to no more than 5 items, subject to administrative and risk management review. Please contact us to request a loan at least 2 years in advance of an exhibition. 

Contact 

Please contact us if you have any questions.