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Reference, Reproductions, and Permissions

Reference Policies

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The department promotes the use of these materials by the University’s academic community, scholars, and the public. For more information on how you may access our materials, please see Using the Collections.

Reproduction Policies and Procedures

The reproduction policies of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro are designed to balance the needs of our researchers with the staff’s need to serve as good stewards of the collection. Access and use of the collections always has to be considered in light of the physical condition of the materials, United States copyright laws and statues, as well as any donor restrictions to specific collections. For the visiting researcher, the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives recommend users to employ digital cameras to reproduce unrestricted collection items. These digital reproductions can only be used for private study, scholarship, or research.

A researcher who is unable to visit The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and use the collection in person may request reproductions services. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives staff directly for assistance. It should be noted that all reproduction of materials will be governed by any and all reproduction restrictions of a specific collection. For researchers who are making reproduction requests please be aware that the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives staff will make every effort to complete your request in a timely manner. But, please keep in mind that the turn-around time on a request will depend on the type of request, staff availability, and the number of existing requests being made.

U.S. Copyright Law governs the making and use of most photocopies and other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Most manuscript materials, sound recordings, photographs, and film created in the past 120 years are protected under Copyright Law. Transmission, reproduction, publication, or presentation of items generally requires the permission of the copyright owners. The responsibility for obtaining permission rests with the researcher. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro assumes no responsibility. To learn more about U.S. Copyright law, researchers should contact the U.S. Copyright Office.

Manuscript collections and archival records that include 20th century and 21st century materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state 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 for which The University of North Carolina at Greensboro assumes no responsibility.

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro will allow researchers to photograph unrestricted materials from its holdings under the following conditions:

  • Permission to photograph materials must be sought from the Reading Room staff prior to the taking of any photo/digital images.
  • Researchers will not use outside lights or strong flashes.
  • Researchers will not place collection documents in jeopardy, or take any extraordinary measures, to get the “best” shot.
  • Photographs and/or digital images will be used only for personal reference or research.
  • Duplication of material does not constitute permission to publish. The user will have to submit a formal request to use these materials in any publication.
  • Researchers accept full responsibility in determining whether or not the documents photographed are protected by current copyright law.
  • Photographs and/or digital images will not be placed in other libraries or archival repositories.
  • Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives reserves the right to prohibit photography of any of its holdings.

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives will allow for limited photocopying of unrestricted materials. All photocopying decisions are made on a case by case basis, by staff, in accordance with the following terms and conditions:

  • Researchers will complete and sign a Reproduction Request Form.
  • Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives will allow the photocopying of documents in good condition. However, it reserves the right to refuse or to limit a duplication request at staff’s discretion. Some items may not be photocopied due to fragility, deterioration, binding conditions, etc.
  • The charge for photocopying is $0.10 per each 8.5”x11” or 8.5”x14” sheet of paper and $0.20 per each 11”x17” sheet of paper.
  • For long-distance requests (email/phone), staff will provide a page count, and a cost estimate of the copying charges.
  • All payments must be in USD (United States dollar). Cash and paper check payments may be made in person at the department. For long-distance requests, checks can be made payable to Jackson Library and should be drawn on a US-based bank. Special Collections and University Archives do not accept credit cards. Once the payment is received by staff, the photocopied materials will be mailed to the patron.
  • For long-distance requests, shipping charges will be determined by the weight of the materials mailed and the intended destination. For example, the charge of continental US shipping of $5.00 per 100 pages will cover the cost of postage. For international and non-continental US charges, a cost will be quoted by weight and destination.
  • Reproductions will be used only for personal reference and research and are not to be sold or recopied. Copies may not be added to the holdings of another library or repository.
  • Duplication of material by the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives does not constitute permission to publish. The patron will have to submit a formal request to use these materials in any publication.
  • Reproductions are to be used within the definitions of “fair use” under the copyright laws of the United States. It is the responsibility of the person requesting copies to obtain use rights from the copyright holder.
  • Restricted materials will not be copied.
  • As clear copies cannot always be made from original materials, copies are purchased at the risk of the requestor.
  • Martha Blakeney Special Collection and University Archives does not offer rush services but always handles request in the order in which they were received. The staff will make every effort to complete every request in a timely manner.

The Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives offers “single-image scanning” for research, publication, and broadcast. Staff will create digital image files of unrestricted materials in accordance with the following terms and conditions:

  • Researchers will complete and sign a Reproduction Request Form.
  • Items selected for duplication must be properly identified by the researcher prior to scanning.
  • Scans will be delivered as unenhanced, unaltered JPEG files scanned in color at 100% at a resolution of 300 dpi.
  • For long-distance requests (email/phone), staff will provide a cost estimate of the shipping charges.
  • All payments must be in USD (United States dollar). Cash and paper check payments may be made in person at the department. For long-distance requests, checks can be made payable to Jackson Library and should be drawn on a US-based bank. Special Collections and University Archives do not accept credit cards. Once the payment is received by staff, a CD will be mailed to the patron.
  • For long-distance requests, shipping charges will be determined by the weight of the materials mailed and the intended destination.
  • Digital images may only be used for personal reference and research.
  • Copies may not be added to the holdings of another library or repository.
  • Turn-around time is dependent upon the complexity of the order. It is extremely important for the researcher to discuss the time-line for reproduction orders with Hodges staff if a deadline is involved.
  • Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collection and University Archives does not offer rush services, but always handles requests in the order in which they were received.
  • Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives reserves the right to refuse or to limit a duplication request at staff’s discretion.

Please submit the Preproduction Request Form to SCUA.

Use and Publication of Materials
The University Libraries at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is committed to supporting research, scholarship, and teaching involving the use of its special collections and university archives materials. The University Libraries does not require researchers to request permission from the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives to quote from published material, from photographic images, or from unpublished material (manuscript, letters, and drawings) in its collections. Special Collections and University Archives no longer provides letters of permission. However, we still recommend that researchers contact Special Collections and University Archives staff prior to using items in either publications or online exhibits. Special Collections and University Archives staff can be contacted by phone (336-334-5246) or email ([email protected]). When a researcher quotes from material in the collections for publication or distribution, Special Collections and University Archives requires citation as the source of text or images. In general, special collections materials should be cited as:

[Name of Collection], [Collection Number], Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Reproduction of Materials and Copyright
A portion of the material in the Special Collections and University Archives is either in the public domain or under external copyright. If researchers wish to quote, publish, reproduce, or otherwise make any use of an item in a collection that requires permission from the copyright holder(s) of the item, it is the researcher’s sole responsibility to obtain all such permissions. An excellent source on copyright is the Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States published by Cornell Copyright Information Center. Permission to examine materials or the sale of photo-duplication for scholarly research is not authorization to publish.

Special Collections and University Archives requires citation as the source of text or images. In general, special collections materials should be cited as:

[Name of Collection], [Collection Number], Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.