Reproduction of Materials
The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) may reproduce collection materials for scholarly use and research. Commercial or other uses without express permission from the copyright holder are prohibited, unless in compliance with “fair use” exemptions.
On-site researchers are permitted to take images of collections materials for their own scholarly use. Lighting equipment, tripods, and scanners are not permitted. SCRC reserves the right to limit imaging of fragile materials and certain materials subject to embargoes and other use restrictions.
Remote researchers may request reference photocopy scans or high-resolution reproductions by contacting us.
Reproduction of Audiovisual and Digital Media Carriers
We do not permit researchers to listen or view any analog or electronic media in its original form. Audio cassette tapes, video tapes, CDs, DVDs, and other audio-visual formats and media carriers must be digitally reproduced to facilitate research access. Please contact us to inquire about access and reproducing media and A/V materials in the collections.
General Guidelines for Reproduction Requests
- SCRC will only provide digital, not paper-based, reproductions.
- Turnaround is typically 2-4 weeks depending on the complexity of the request and staffing levels.
- Requests for reproductions must be approved by SCRC staff. Permission may be denied due to copyright restrictions or the condition of the materials.
- SCRC retains the right to limit reproduction requests. Orders are typically limited to about 100 pages per request. Reproducing and scanning archival material is a labor intensive process. Staffing and other constraints may limit our ability to complete complex requests.
- George Washington University Libraries and the Special Collections Research Center do not hold or control copyright for all of its collections materials. Researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of copyright. Some copyright holders may retain the right to charge for use of its copyrighted materials. Reproductions are prepared solely for individual researchers and should not be reproduced without permission of the relevant copyright holders.
What are the costs associated with requesting reproductions?
SCRC does not generally charge for reproductions that fall within the 100 page limit. However, copyright holders of the material may retain the right to charge for publication.
SCRC is not able to reproduce and digitize all formats, especially certain audio and visual formats or oversized print material. For any requests unable to be fulfilled using SCRC’s on-site equipment, we may be able to send those materials to a vendor to reproduce. Costs associated with vendor reproduction requests are wholly or partially paid by the requestor. SCRC will provide quotes and pricing information in these scenarios.
SCRC will inform researchers of all costs prior to proceeding with any request that may incur costs to the requestor.
Citing Manuscript Materials
Citations are imperative when referencing any collections materials. A well-crafted citation should lead your reader directly to the exact document or item cited. As such, we recommend that the following elements be included in your citations:
- Document title/name (you will often have to impute this information if the document is not titled)
- Author(s)/creator(s)
- Document date, if available
- Series, box, and folder number
- Collection number and name
- Repository name: Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Libraries
- Location: Washington, DC.
Example: Address, Honoring Commissioner John B. Duncan, Baptist Ministers' Conference, 1962, Series 1, Box 1, Folder 5. MS2070: Walter E. Fauntroy papers, part I. Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Libraries. Washington, DC.
The Library of Congress offers more in-depth information about citing primary sources using specific citation styles.
Copyright and Permission to Publish
The Copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code) includes protection of reproductions of copyrighted material produced by libraries and archives pursuant to their §108 rights. The Special Collections Research Center provides reproductions of materials for research use only. Commercial or other uses without express permission from the copyright holder are prohibited, unless in compliance with the “fair use” exemptions under Title 17.
It is solely the obligation of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. Receiving permission to publish reproductions of materials from the Special Collections Research Center does not absolve patrons of their obligations to comply with copyright laws.
Staff are often able to help researchers determine the copyright status of collection materials. In some cases GW may be the copyright holder, in some cases the status may be unknown, and some materials may be in the public domain. Permission is typically not required to quote from published or unpublished materials, but a proper citation is always necessary. See above on this page for citation guidance specific to archival materials.
Please contact us if you are seeking permission to publish materials from our collections or have any related questions.
More information about copyright and Fair Use:
George Washington University, GW Libraries, Copyright
George Washington University, GW Libraries, Fair Use Analysis
George Washington University, GW Libraries, Copyright Basics for GW
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