1. About Us
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Services and Policies

Reading Room Environment

We strive for our collections to be open to all:

  • Users do not need to have an affiliation to Barnard or Columbia (or any institution).
  • We do not require that users show us ID and we do not ask for their IDs.
  • We do not charge for reproductions -- scans or photocopies. We do have limitations on our capacity for reproductions which are shared in the section Reproduction of Materials.
  • We welcome families of all kinds to be together in our reading room. We try to stock the desk with activities for younger visitors and offer the use of laptops for families and companions to utilize. 
  • Our offices are accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities.
  • We have bathroom facilities available for all gender identities.

Our reading room can be cold, and we do not have direct control over its temperature. We recommend that researchers wear or bring layers for their visit. There is a water fountain directly outside of our office, and we are happy to share recommendations for food and drink in our neighborhood.

There is not an expectation of silence in our reading room. We will ask researchers to be respectful of one another, and to share the space in a way that is not disruptive to other researchers. We also know that some researchers will need or require quiet for their work. If researchers or staff need or want to have extended conversation, the Archives staff will find space to accommodate that conversation.

If you need any other accommodations to ensure you have a positive visit to the Archives, please let us know.

Hours of Operation and Location

The Barnard Archives and Special Collections are located room 423 of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning. We are open Monday through Friday, 10:30 am-5:30 pm.

Please contact us at archives@barnard.edu a week in advance of any planned visits to the Archives, including in your message the collection and boxes you want to use. A full list of our collections is available here: https://archives.barnard.edu/finding-materials/collections-list. Please feel free to contact us if you need assistance selecting materials to request or planning your visit to the Archives. ​

Copying and Reproduction

Zine Reproductions

“Reproducing/reprinting all or any part of this zine without prior consent will be considered utterly disrespectful and generally uncool.” Aqsa Zine #4 Ancestors + Descendents. Sept. 2011. Print.

Researchers may scan, photograph, or otherwise reproduce zine text and images for their own use. Researchers may not publish zine images or substantial amounts of text in print, on the web, or in any public format, without making every effort to secure permission from the zine creator. If the zine creator is deceased or difficult for the researcher and zine librarian to locate, discuss other options with the zine librarian..

All zines are protected by copyright unless they contain an anti-copyright statement.

Read and contribute other special zine copyright/fair use statements on the Zine Libraries website.

Photocopy Requests

All photocopy requests are handled by Archives staff.  Photocopies are made for research purposes only, and only if the material is strong enough to withstand the reproduction process. The Archives does not reproduce entire collections or folders. 

Digital Imaging Requests

Digital reproductions of photographs and paper documents are available from Archives staff on a case-by-case basis, provided the archival material may be safely scanned or photographed. We do not offer design or print services in-house. All scans are provided as TIFF, JPG, or PDF files. There is no fee for scanning or photography.
 

Please allow two to three weeks for all digital reproductions of archival material. Rush orders may be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Barnard Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to decline to reproduce material, or to limit the amount of material that can safely be digitized.

Digitization of Audio-Visual Materials

Audio-visual archival materials are considered for digitization on an individual basis. In the case that materials must be sent to a third-party vendor for digitization, patrons are responsible for all costs incurred. The Archives will be responsible for finding digitization vendors.

Use of Laptops, Digital Cameras, and Self-Scanners in the Reading Room 

We welcome you to use your laptops, tablets, and their chargers in our reading room.

Patrons may use digital cameras (including phone cameras) in the Archives.

We additionally welcome the use of our self-scanning stations in our reading room. We have two scanners that are generally available in our Reading Room. One scanner is a touch screen, Scannx Book Scan Center. The Scannx can accommodate page sizes up to 11x14. The second is an Epson Perfection V750 Pro. The Epson Perfection can scan pages up to 8.5x11. Please contact the archives staff ahead of your visit to confirm the availability of these scanners.

Researchers making self-scans will adhere to the following guidelines:

  • For use of the Scannx station, please bring a thumb drive or have an active Google Drive to which you can save your scans.
  • For use of the Epson scanner, please bring a laptop with a USB port and scanning software (e.g. Mac OS Image Capture or the free Epson scanner driver).
  • Some reproductions can only be done by staff due to fragility, size, or format. Prior to making self-scans, please check with Archives’ staff to ensure the materials can be scanned.
  • Researchers making self-scans should use one document at a time, returning the document they are scanning to the appropriate folder and box before making their next scan.
  • When scanning is completed, the researcher should check the flatbed scanner to ensure no documents have been left on the scanner.
  • We recommend that researchers make note of the folders and boxes from which they are making their scans.

Copyright and Fair Use Statement

The Barnard Archives and Special Collections is the physical rights holder of all material held within the Archives. The Archives provides researchers access to material for educational and scholarly purposes. The Barnard Archives and Special Collections does not hold the copyrights to all materials held in the Archives. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law (Title 108), libraries and archives are authorized to furnish these specified conditions: that the reproduction not be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a patron uses a reproduction in excess of fair use as stated by Title 17, without first obtaining written permission from the Barnard Archives and Special Collections, that patron may be liable for copyright infringement. Patrons agree to hold the Barnard Archives and Special Collections without blame for any violation of copyright law, invasion of privacy, or any other improper or illegal use that may arise from the use of reproductions. Requests for commercial endeavors will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It is entirely the responsibility of the patron to obtain permission from the copyright holder.

Confidentiality and Privacy Statement

The Barnard Archives and Special Collections is dedicated to providing equitable service to all researchers and access to all of its holdings to the fullest extent possible. In some cases, where personal privacy and institutional proprietary rights apply, there may be restrictions to access. Barnard Archives and Special Collections recognizes the rights of faculty, students, alumnae, and private donors to impose reasonable restrictions to protect privacy. The Archives does not make available student records, health records, or other restricted records.
 
The Library Community Agreements affirm that “User borrowing records are not saved.” Currently, the Archives keeps a log of requests that we receive in order to answer patron requests on an internal Google Docs spreadsheet. This log includes patron names, method of contact, contact information, the contents of requests, and steps taken to fulfill requests. We remove contact information and names from the log a year after the requests have been fulfilled, while maintaining the content of the requests in order to internally facilitate future research. We will continually review this practice so that it better upholds the privacy of our researchers while still providing a space for us to collaboratively assist them with their inquiries. If patrons would like us to remove their information from our logs or opt out entirely from this tracking, they can ask us to do so.

Researcher Responsibilities 

Researchers are asked to adhere to the following guidelines when working with materials in the Barnard Archives and Special Collections:
  • Archival materials can be viewed only when Archives staff are present.
  • Archival materials can be used in the reading room. Archival materials do not circulate. They must remain within the Archives.
  • Researchers can place their personal items - bags, jackets, etc. - on the shelving or coat rack we provide for their personal belongings.
  • We ask that researchers set aside any food or liquid while they work with the collections.
  • Please keep all archival materials in the original order in which they are found. To assist with this, we ask that researchers look at one folder at a time.

Citing Archives Materials

Please cite print archival materials using the following format: Identification of Specific Item; Date (if known); Collection number - Collection name, inclusive dates; Box and Folder; Barnard Archives and Special Collections, Barnard Library, Barnard College.

Please cite photographic or A/V archival materials using the following format: Subject; Location/Description; Date (if known); Collection number - Collection name, inclusive dates (if applicable); Barnard Archives and Special Collections, Barnard Library, Barnard College

Captions for archival photographs should read "Courtesy of the Barnard Archives and Special Collections."

These citation formats can be modified for specific bibliographic styles or publishers' preferences; please contact us if you have any questions.

Collection Development Policy

The Barnard Archives Collection Development Policy governs what the Barnard Archives and Special Collections acquires, preserves, and makes accessible. The Collection Development Policy is available here. 

We strive to be accommodating to our patrons. If you have questions about any of our services or policies, please contact us at archives@barnard.edu.