Use of materials

1. Use of materials requires registration and presentation of appropriate identification.
2. Keep all bags, briefcases, and computer cases off the table in the reading room.
3. No eating, drinking, or smoking is permitted in the reading room.
4. All materials must be used in the reading room. None will be circulated or loaned.
5. Use only pencils in the reading room. Do not make any markings of any kind on archival materials or books. Do not remove annotations already present on materials.
6. Please handle all materials carefully.
7. Use only one document box at a time. Remove only one folder at a time. Do not remove items from the folders. The arrangement of the papers must be maintained. If it seems that the contents of a box or folder are out of order, please bring it to the attention of the department staff.

Reproductions for research

CUNY Graduate Center Archives and Special Collections, Mina Rees Library will consider requests for limited reproductions of materials when such duplication can be done without injury to the material and when duplication does not violate donor agreements or copyright law. Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish. Reproductions are to be used for personal research only and are not to be copied or distributed in any manner unless agreed to by the Archivist.

Permission to publish

Researchers interested in obtaining high-resolution images for publication can learn more about the options and any associated fees in our Duplication and Reproductions page.

Copyright Permissions: CUNY's Graduate Center does not hold the copyright to all of the materials in our archives. Therefore, you are solely responsible for obtaining permission for your intended use. Please note that permission to examine digital materials, audio recordings, or printed copies is not an authorization to publish. If the content in question is under copyright, permission to publish should be sought from the owners of rights, typically the creator or the heir to the creator's estate.

Fair Use: The United States copyright law contains an exception for fair use of copyrighted materials, which includes the use of protected materials for certain limited purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research. For guidelines on the fair use exception, please contact the US Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov. You are solely responsible for determining whether your use falls within the fair use exception, and for responding to any claims that may arise from your use. By using materials from our archives, you agree and warrant that your use will not violate the rights of CUNY or any other person or entity.

Using cameras

Researchers may be allowed at the sole discretion of Archives & Special Collections to use personal cell phone, tablet, or point-and-shoot cameras to photograph materials. Personal scanners, professional cameras, tripods, or reproduction equipment are not allowed. No photographs of the staff, the room, or unauthorized materials may be taken.

Privacy and personally identifiable information

Collections that include 20th and 21st-century archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal, state, and/or global "right to privacy" laws. 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, home address, driver's license, home or cellphone number, or any other personally identifiable information), please bring the materials to the attention of a staff member in the archives. In accessing collections in our repository, you assume all responsibility for potential infringement of any applicable personal privacy laws or regulations in your use of the material. In addition, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless The City University of New York, its agents and employees against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses arising out of your use of these materials.