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Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern: Our Policies

This guide is designed to introduce researchers to Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Research Policy

The following stipulations govern the use of Archives and Special Collections in the Library at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. While our collections are here to be used, these policies help us protect and preserve research materials for future generations.

  1. Researchers must register each time they visit the Archives.
  2. No food (including chewing gum, mints, etc.) or beverages are permitted.
  3. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times. No pets (with the exception of service animals) are permitted.
  4. Archival materials are in closed stacks and will be retrieved for patrons by archives staff. Patrons are not permitted in archival storage areas without the permission of the Archivist or Assistant Archivist.
  5. Archival resources may not be removed from the research room by patrons for any reason.
  6. Marking on any archival resources is prohibited. Only pencils or computers are allowed for taking notes. Pencils will be provided if needed.
  7. Use care in handling fragile documents and books. Ask for staff assistance if necessary.
  8. Researchers are expected to respect and maintain the existing order of archival resources.
  9. Researchers are responsible for conforming to copyright, right-to-privacy, libel, slander, and any other applicable federal and state statutes and agree to indemnify and hold harmless Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, its officers, employees, and agents for any and all claims resulting from the use of the materials.
  10. Permission to publish any archival resource in its entirety or a substantial portion thereof should be requested in writing prior to publication. Proper citation or credit line should read: “Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC.” See our Publication and Commercial Use Policy for details.
  11. Archival resources (excluding restricted materials) may be duplicated for personal research use if Archives staff determine that the media (paper, photograph, audiotape, CD, etc.) is stable and duplication will not result in damage to the original or information loss. See the Duplication Policy for details.
  12. Briefcases and bags must be stored beside the research room reference desk and are subject to inspection by the staff when researchers leave the Archives.
  13. Failure to comply with any of these rules may result in the denial of access to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary library and archives holdings in the future.

Classroom Use Policy

  1. Archives staff will take all reasonable measures to facilitate access and use of archival resources. This includes facilitating access in the classroom and special use settings. Information on planning and archives instructional session is available at http://library.sebts.edu/archives/services
  2. Use of archival resources outside of secure archives areas must be managed within the parameters of archival best practices and preservation standards and must balance access and security.
  3. Archives staff reserve the right to implement controlled use or deny requests to use resources outside of secure archives areas if such use will jeopardize the continued usefulness of the archival resource(s) requested.
  4. Normal use of archival resources for classes and other purposes outside of secure archives areas must be requested at least 24 hours in advance and approved by the Archivist & Digital Collections Manager (Archivist).
  5. Emergency exceptions may be granted in rare cases if requests are received without 24 hour notice. Approval must still be granted by the Archivist if he is available.
  6. Anytime archival resources are allowed to leave secure archival areas, they must be accompanied by assigned archives staff at all times and their use must be supervised. This will allow archives staff to provide guidance on how to safely use the resources (how to open a rare book, preserve original order in archival collections, etc.) and we can ensure that the unique items in our holdings are not put in hazardous preservation situations (in close proximity to food and beverages, examined with pens in hand, passed around classrooms if the items are particularly heavy or fragile, made vulnerable to theft, etc.).

Duplication Policy

Archival resources may be duplicated for personal research use as long as Archives staff determine that the media (paper, photograph, audiotape, CD, etc.) is stable and duplication will not result in damage to the original or information loss. The following stipulations apply to all duplication requests.

  1. Copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the reproduction of copyrighted materials in Archives and Special Collections holdings.
  2. Permission to duplicate is at the discretion of Archives staff and may require special preservation precautions, processing by Archives staff, and in some instances copying may be prohibited due to the fragile nature of the media
  3. Archives staff reserves the right to limit the number of copies that staff will provide for remote or onsite researchers (generally we will not duplicate more than 50 pages or 2 audiovisual items per request).
  4. All copies are provided for private study, scholarship, or research use only.
  5. The researcher assumes full responsibility for abiding by all copyright restrictions. Patrons wishing to use copies of Archives and Special Collections holdings in a publication or for commercial use are responsible for identifying the copyright holder(s) and obtaining their permission(s) for the intended use. In instances in which SEBTS is the copyright holder, patrons should refer to the Publication and Commercial Use Policy.
  6. Researchers are responsible for conforming to copyright, right-to-privacy, libel, slander, and any other applicable federal and state statutes and agree to indemnify and hold harmless Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, its officers, employees, and agents for any and all claims resulting from the use of the materials.
  7. Researchers are prohibited from depositing or distributing copies of Library at Southeastern Archives and Special Collections holdings in any format through any medium with any organization, institution, or repository without the written permission of the Archivist and Digital Collections Manager.
  8. All duplication requests are subject to duplication and delivery fees (see the Duplication Fee Schedule below). Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to waive or negotiate fees or other requirements on an individual basis at the discretion of the Archivist and Digital Collections Manager.
  9. Failure to comply with any of these rules may result in the denial of access to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary library and archives holdings in the future.

All applicable fees must be paid before the order will be processed and delivered.

Publication and Commercial Use Policy

Requests for permission to publish from Archives and Special Collections holdings (extensive quotes, transcriptions, copies of documents, photographs, or audiovisual resources, etc.) should be submitted in writing to the Archivist and Digital Collections Manager at jlawler@sebts.edu or the following mailing address:

Archivist and Digital Collections Manager
Library at Southeastern
114 N. Wingate Street
Wake Forest, NC 27587-2553

If permission to publish is granted, the person or organization requesting permission will be asked to fulfill the following requirements

  1. Proper acknowledgement, attribution, and citation must be included in the publication. Proper citation or credit line should include: “Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC”.
  2. Online access or two complimentary copies of the publication must be provided to the Library at Southeastern.

A Commercial Use Fee will be charged in addition to any applicable duplication fees (see the Fee Schedule below) for all materials used in a for-profit publication or display. Commercial Use Fees do NOT apply to: Non-profit corporations (government agencies, churches, or organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status); Accredited educational institutions; Non-profit museums and other historical agencies; Private scholars (when used for personal research, lectures, theses or dissertations); Non-profit academic presses or production companies; Home use; Local news media. Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to waive/negotiate fees or other requirements on an individual basis at the discretion of the Archivist and Digital Collections Manager. Such waiver of fees or obligations can be made only upon approval of written application to the Archivist.

Duplication and Delivery Fee Schedule

$10.00 minimum charge will be applied to duplication requests received from offsite researchers with the exception of requests received from SEBTS administrators, faculty, and distance learning students. Offsite researchers are those who are not conducting onsite research in our archives and submit duplication requests by phone, mail, or email. Please note that most duplication requests from offsite researchers  will be subject to Delivery and Order Processing Fees in addition to fees associated with duplication.

Print Materials (Manuscripts, books, etc.)
Scans by Patron (Patron may scan to email or use a personal flash drive. Limited to legal size or smaller) Free
Photographs by Patron (Patron must provide the camera. Flash may be prohibited) Free
Photocopies by Patron (Limited to legal size or smaller) $0.10/sheet
Photocopies or Scans by Archives Staff (Up to legal size) $0.25
Oversized Photocopies or Scans by Archives Staff (Limited to tabloid/ledger size for photocopies and A2 size, 16.54" x 23.39", for maximum quality scans. Scans up to 18" x 25" may be made but the quality may not be optimal) $1.00/sheet
Photographic Materials (Photographic prints, slides, negatives, etc.)
Scans by Patrons (Patron may scan to email or use a personal flash drive. Limited to legal size or smaller and a maximum resolution of 300 DPI. Prints only) Free
Photographs by Patrons (Patron must provide camera. Flash may be prohibited) Free
Low Resolution Scans by Archives Staff (Low resolution for research use. No editing) $0.25/image
High Resolution Scans by Archives Staff (High resolution for printing or publishing. Restorative editing) $10.00/image
Audiovisual Materials (Open reel audiotape, cassette tapes, CD, VHS, DVD, etc)
Unedited Audio Recordings (Track or side level files only. No edits)                                                                         $15.00/reel, cassette, or CD
Edited Audio Recordings (Unique content pieces on recording identified and separated. Sound quality checked and edited) $25.00/reel, cassette, or CD
Moving Image Recordings (At present Archives Staff can only duplicate VHS tape and digital video content) $30.00/VHS or DVD
Delivery and Order Processing Fees
Electronic delivery by email or cloud Free
Patron Supplied Storage Media (CD, DVD, or Flash Drive) Free
Archives Supplied Storage Media (CD or DVD) $2.00 per disc
Media Mail Shipping and Handling for Print Materials or Storage Media (Approximately 2-8 business days) $3.00 (Free for SEBTS Distance Learning Students)
Priority Mail Shipping and Handling for Print Materials or Storage Media (1-3 business days) $10.00 (Additional fees will apply to orders requiring containers larger than a Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box.)

Commercial Use Fee Schedule

Use of an image in a printed or online publication $50.00
Use of an image, audio recording, or moving image in an audio, video, or film production $10.00/second used in the final production
Exhibit/Display of an image in a commercial environment (restaurant, bank, office, etc.) $10.00 per image