RULES FOR RESEARCHERS

Welcome to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Because of the nature of the materials in this collection, we ask that you comply with the Rules for Researchers (click here).   rules and complete a request form for the materials you wish to examine. This form will be destroyed promptly after all materials used have been returned intact. We may keep a record of the items used and the name of your home state (or county) for statistical purposes. The reason we ask you to follow these rules is to protect the items in our collection, many of which are rare and/or fragile. We want to ensure that these materials are protected from damage and loss, so they may be available for future generations. (Should you wish to donate materials appropriate to our collection, you can be assured that they will receive proper care. The Library is always interested in adding to the collection unique items related to the history of our community.) If you have questions about any of these rules, please ask a staff member.

• Briefcases, backpacks, purses, and other items not necessary for research are not allowed at the research tables. These items must be placed on the floor in clear view of Library staff, or in a designated area. The Library reserves the right to examine all bags, folders, files, etc. brought into the research room.
• Eating, drinking (including water), and smoking are prohibited.
• Photo identification must be provided upon request.
• Materials from closed storage must be viewed at designated research tables. Items must not be taken from the research room, nor removed from the tables while being examined.
• Only pencils may be used when taking notes from archival materials. Library staff will lend pencils, if necessary. Documents must not be marked in any manner, including with paperclips or sticky notes.
• When materials are received in boxes or folders, only one box/folder may be examined at a time. A folder must be returned in its box before another folder is removed. Please be careful to keep the items in the order in which they were received.
• Photographs and other documents may not be removed from their protective sleeves, unless a valid research purpose is demonstrated. If permission is granted to researchers to examine photographs and documents outside of their sleeves, cotton gloves must be worn when directly handling these materials. Cotton gloves may also be required for handling documents not enclosed in transparent sleeves. Cotton gloves will be provided.
• If a patron wishes to make a photocopy of original archival materials, he/she must request explicit permission from Library staff. In most cases, Library staff will make the photocopies; each photocopy shall be marked on the front with a stamp noting the Sandusky Library as the source of the copy. The Library reserves the right to prohibit photocopying of any materials if it is determined that copying may damage the materials, or if copying is prohibited by law or other restriction. In order to preserve the integrity of the archival collections, and to allocate library resources fairly, the Library reserves the right to restrict the quantity of materials copied. Requests to copy entire collections, for example, will be denied, unless explicitly approved in advance by the Library Director.
• The use of personal copying devices, including cameras, scanners, or other duplicating equipment is prohibited in the research room, unless advance express permission for such use is granted. Under certain conditions, researchers may purchase photographic prints of items from the collections, for personal use, or for publication, with the express consent of the Library Director (see 5.11 Special Collections Reproduction Policy).