Archives Reference Policies and Procedures: Step 3: Use Archival Resources

Whenever a researcher is using archival resources, we may need to provide guidance on how to safely use the resources to ensure that the unique items in our holdings are not put in hazardous preservation situations.

Some general principles to know when handling archival resources are:

1. Take care when opening rare books.
   1. Don't take a book where it doesn't want to go.
   2. Use bolsters if needed. Bolsters offer support so that a researcher can glean the information without compromising the resource. Bolsters are found in the second drawer of the 4-drawer file cabinet in the Archives.
2. Preserve original order in archival collections.
3. Archival resources should not be in close proximity to food and beverages.
4. Archival resources should not be examined with pen, highlighters, etc. in hand. 

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.

$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.

Below are some quick guidelines to duplicating Archival resources. 

1. Some researchers may want to duplicate archival resources for later use, which is usually acceptable 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. Signs that a resource is too fragile to duplicate include:
   • You are unable to lay the resource flat
   • Brittle pages
   • You hear sound of ripping or breaking when you open the book
2. Resources found in the Faculty Publication collection are prohibited from duplication, because they are preservation copies. Researchers may use this collection, but no photocopies or scanning is allowed.
3. Researchers may duplicate up to 15 copies for free. After that, refer to the Duplication Fee below.
4. Researchers are allowed to scan archival resources as long as the resource complies with the guidelines already stated. Here are the steps to scan and send an archival resource to email.

​From the home touch screen:

1. Scan > scan to email > send an email
2. Tap Archives
3. Tap To:archives@sebts.edu
4. Select from current list of emails (if applicable) or choose to input new
5. Enter email address
6. You may add email address to address book
7. Done
8. Next
9. Scan
   1. If the patron is scanning multiple pages on the Flatbed scanner, go to Settings > Scan Source >  Flatbed Scanner > Multiple Pages > Scan.This will enable the patron to scan multiple pages into a single file.
   2. Make sure to read the screen to ensure the file is not sent too soon before all scanning is complete.
   3. After each subsequent scan, the patron will need to place the next page for scanning on the glass and then select "Ok" if scanning more pages.
   4. Select "Done" when scanning is complete.

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.

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. If the Archivist is unavailable, proceed as follows:
   1. Check to see if the Assistant Archivist & Digitization Specialist is available to help clarify our policy and take over communication. If the Assistant Archivist is not available, call the Library Director's office (2250) and ask if the Director (Jason) is available to come upstairs to help clarify our policy.
   2. Call the Archivist's cell phone from the Archives Reference phone while the Assistant Archivist or Library Director explains the policy to the professor. The Archivist should answer and provide direction.
   3. If the Archivist cannot be reached, the Assistant Archivist or Library Director can determine if there is a legitimate, emergency need to use the resource(s) and may approve use outside of the library in accordance with other archives policies. Emergency exceptions should only be granted in situations in which the the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, or Board of Trustees has immediate need of archival resources. Failure to plan on the part of the professor does not qualify for an emergency exception.
   4. Following approval of an emergency exception, the library staff member who granted the exception will immediately send a report to the Archivist. 
6. Anytime archival resources are allowed to leave secured areas, they must be accompanied by assigned archives staff at all times and their use must be supervised. This will ensure that we can 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, etc.). The only approved exception to this rule is the Faculty Books display we put together in the Hall of Presidents for the Board of Trustees meeting.