GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

HOURS: Special Collections is open to student, faculty and staff of the University of North Carolina at Asheville and to all other qualified researchers. The Reading Room is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM until 2:30 PM,  except for campus holidays. Other hours are by appointment. Hours may vary during the summer months.

MATERIALS: Users are to bring into the reading room only those materials needed for research. Coats, books, briefcases, and other personal items should be placed in the closet provided.

REGISTRATION: Users are required to register with the reading room attendant when they first enter the reading room. They must sign in at each visit with their name, identification, and the date. Sign in is electronic.

EATING, AND DRINKING: are not permitted in Special Collections while collections are being used.

EQUIPMENT: Readers may use portable computers, and photographic, video and audio equipment with permission of the staff. Security of the personal equipment and materials is the responsibility of the user.

HANDLING OF MATERIALS: All materials must be handled with care. Do not: mark on material or erase existing marks. Do not use fountain pens, felt-tipped pen, or similar writing instruments. Do not fold, tear or cut documents. Do not make tracings or rubbings. Do not rest books or other objects on the surface of items. Do not touch the surface of loose sheets or book pages if they can be handled by their edges. Do not apply paper clips, fasteners, rubber-bands, tape, and especially "Post it" notes to any material. All materials must be returned personally to the reading room attendant when the User leaves Special Collections.

MAINTAINING ORIGINAL ORDER: To safeguard the integrity of documents, the original order must be maintained. Please request only one record series/collection at a time and use no more than two boxes at a time. Use one folder from a box at a time. If there is any doubt as to order please notify the room attendant.

CIRCULATION: No materials are to circulate outside Special Collections.  Any material taken from the room (for cataloging, Alumni office use, other) must have the written permission of the Special Collections Coordinator and the appropriate removal form completed.

REPRODUCTION: Material may be photocopied in accordance with the limits of the copyright act and library policies. Special Collections reserves the right to set restrictions, or to deny the right to reproduction to protect fragile or damaged materials, or rights.

RESTRICTED MATERIALS: The use of certain documents may be restricted by statute or by donor restriction. The researcher must assume full responsibility for fulfilling the terms connected with the use of restricted material. For the protection of its holdings, Special Collections reserves the right to deny permission to use materials that are not arranged or are in the process of being arranged. Materials that are of exceptional value and/or of exceptional fragility or age, may also be restricted. Glass-plate negatives may not be handled by Readers. .

PUBLICATION: A USE AGREEMENT and the permission of the Special Collections Coordinator must be obtained before any unpublished documents can be published. Permission to copy, quote from, or publish, given to an individual does not surrender the right of Special Collections to publish such material or to grant permission to others to do so. The researcher assumes full responsibility for publication and use of material and for conformity to the laws of defamation, privacy, and copyright, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the University of North Carolina and Special Collections and University Archives from claims arising as a result of the use of the material so obtained. If literary rights have been retained by the donors or by other parties associated with the collections or material, the researcher must obtain their full permission before publication.

INVOICED MATERIALS: Invoiced materials must be paid in advance of receiving the materials.

CITATION:  Special Collections requests full citation of all material published. The location of the material must be indicated in the work. Additional examples of footnote citations are available on request.

Preferred citation:  [Collection name and Item # ], D. Hiden Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville