Policies

We ask for your understanding of the policies that balance the need for access with the long-term preservation of the collections, and appreciate your cooperation.

Planning Your Visit

Special Collections is open to the members of the UB community, visiting scholars and the general public. All materials are housed in environmentally controlled and secure stack areas on and off site, and are made available for use in the Special Collections Reading Room.

All collections are non-circulating and are retrieved for researchers upon request. Some materials are located off site. Requests to view unprocessed or off-site materials require advanced notice; contact us with your request at least 10 working days prior to your visit.

We also encourage you to explore the appropriate Finding Aid or Libraries' Catalog to become familiar with any collection you want to access before your visit.

What to bring

Your laptop; we have free Wi-Fi (wireless internet) and electrical outlets at every table
Current photo identification (e.g. driver's license, campus ID, passport)

What not to bring

Due to the uniqueness of the collection, we ask that that you do not bring:

Food or drink
Pens, though you may use our pencils and paper for taking notes
Scanners, tripods or video equipment

Requesting and Using Materials

Requests to view unprocessed or off-site materials require advanced notice; contact us with your request at least 10 working days prior to your visit
Materials should not be written upon, marked or altered in any way
Submit request form to Reading Room staff and they will retrieve the materials for you; we do not allow visitors to retrieve materials on their own
One manuscript box or one folder of photograph files is permitted per table
All documents must remain in folders in their original order at all times; pull only one folder at a time from the manuscript box
Media equipment is available for viewing or listening to DVDs, CDs, VHS, and audio cassette

Other things to know

Phones need to be silenced
All researchers must alert Special Collections staff when leaving the reading room, and must return all requested materials
Researchers may be asked to submit for inspection any briefcase, laptop case, or any other parcel, book, notebook, or other personal property before leaving the premises
Some extremely fragile or unprocessed items may have access restrictions; other items may be inaccessible per the donor’s request

Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information

Manuscript collections that include twentieth and twenty-first century archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state "right to privacy" laws, including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and personnel records. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal cause for action if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person.

Staff has taken care to identify and, in some cases, remove Personally Identifiable Information found within its archival collections when undertaking archival processing work. However, privacy protected information may be revealed during use of the archival collections, particularly in those collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed.

Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections.

Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless the University at Buffalo and its officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of use of archival collections held by the University at Buffalo.

Reproductions & Permissions

Photocopying, Scanning and the Use of Digital Cameras

Photocopying and Scanning

Photocopies or scans will be made for a fee if Special Collections staff determines this will not harm the material. A permission form must be completed before a photocopy or scanning request is completed. Further permission from the copyright holder may be necessary, especially for manuscript materials (see the copyright statements below).

Extensive photocopying may be mailed to the researcher
State or federal law may not permit the reproduction of some material
Photocopies and scans are made solely for the convenience of the researcher; they cannot be reproduced or transferred to any other person or institution without the prior permission of Special Collections staff

Use of Digital Cameras

There is a charge of $10 per day to take photographs for personal use of Special Collections material in the Reading Room.

The use of digital cameras, cell phones or tablets to photograph a limited amount of material is permissible if prior arrangements have been made with Special Collections staff. Flash is prohibited. A permission form must be completed before taking any photographs. Further permission from the copyright holder may be necessary, especially for manuscript materials (see the copyright statements below).

Fee Schedule (August 2023)

Reproduction	UB Staff/Faculty/Alumni/Donors	Academic/Non Profit/Individual Researcher	Commercial
Photocopies - Photocopies are subject to NYS Sales Tax
Low Resolution Photocopies For Personal Use	$0.29/page	$0.29/page	$0.29/page
Low Resolution Photocopies For Publication Use	$0.29/page	$30/page	$30/page
Scans**
Low Resolution Scans (PDF/JPG) For Personal Use	$0.29/page	$0.29/page	$0.29/page
Low Resolution Scans (PDF/JPG) For Publication Use	$0.29/page	$30/page	$30/page
High Resolution Scans (TIFF) For Personal Use	$2.30/page	$10/page	$10/page
High Resolution Scans (TIFF) For Publication Use	$2.30/page	$30/page	$120/page
Audio/Video
Audio (MP3)/ Video (MP4) For Personal Use	$10/file	$10/file	$10/file
Audio (MP3)/ Video (MP4) For Publication Use	$30/file	$30/file	$120/file

Scans and copies will only be released after payment and permission forms are received.

* UB Staff/Faculty/Alumni/Donors Rate is for low resolution scans/photocopies over 150 pages and high resolution scans over 20 images.

** Large format (>11"x17") scan rates will be the same as high resolution scans for personal/publication use.

Payment

Payment may be made by credit card or check:

Poetry Collection credit card payments
University Archives credit card payments
Checks should be made out to the University Libraries and mailed to either the Poetry Collection or University Archives at 420 Capen Hall, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260.

Preferred Citations

The Poetry Collection

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], The Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

Rare & Special Books

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], Rare & Special Books, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

Robert L. Brown History of Medicine

[Description and date of item], Box/folder number, Collection number, [Collection name], [Collection dates], The Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

University Archives

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], University Archives, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.

Copyright Statements

The Poetry Collection

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors’ heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Rare & Special Books

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors’ heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and Rare & Special Books before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Robert L. Brown History of Medicine

Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

University Archives

Copyright is held by the State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors’ heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

The WATCH list of copyright contacts (https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/Watch) is a useful place to begin searching for the estates of writers and artists.

For more general information about copyright and the public domain, visit http://www.copyright.cornell.edu.