Research access to our collections
We provide research access to our collections free of charge and in accordance with our published terms and conditions of use. Our access framework enables our collections to be opened as widely as possible while ensuring lawful, ethical and responsible use.
We are committed to maximising public research access to our core collections, alongside our reference collections, through our library services. We offer dedicated onsite study facilities for researchers and online access to selected collections via our large-scale digitisation programme and e-resource subscriptions. We strive to provide clear, up-to-date and relevant catalogue entries (collections information) to assist researchers and wherever possible, we apply permissive Creative Commons licences to the information we create and make it available online. We do not seek to apply fresh copyright to our digitisations of previously out of-copyright works and encourage copyright owners also to share their content and intellectual property via Creative Commons licences.
Research access to our collections is provided free of charge and in accordance with our published terms and conditions of use. We require library visitors and some online researchers to register for security and operational purposes and, in order to comply with licensing agreements, copyright and information legislation such as the Data Protection Act.
Access framework
Our collections access framework enables us to open our collections and collections information as widely as possible, whilst also ensuring that we behave lawfully, ethically and responsibly:
Open – available at the library to registered researchers on request and, to the extent permitted by copyright, can be copied for non-commercial use and private study. Digitised surrogates and collections information can be viewed online without the need to register and may be downloaded for use according to the licence terms.
Some open material online is additionally classed as:
Open with Advisory – can be viewed following a click-through advisory warning. Copying and download may be restricted for material which has the potential to cause offence, damage or distress.
All of our Core and Support Collections, and associated collections information, are open or open with advisory by default unless they are:
Restricted – available at the library to registered researchers, subject to an approved application for access. Restricted material cannot be copied and personal information must be anonymised in any notes made. In limited circumstances, restricted material may be made available online to authenticated users. Access may be restricted by:
- Legislation, most commonly statutory protections for personal data.
- Common law principles, including medical confidentiality, and legal professional privilege.
By appointment – available at the library to registered researchers, subject to a pre-arranged appointment. Material may be copied, subject to a sensitivity review and condition assessment. An appointment may be necessary:
- Where additional measures are in place to mitigate the risk of physical damage or loss (e.g. access is provided in our conservation studio)
- Where access must be closely supervised to ensure health and safety guidance is followed
- For formats requiring bespoke arrangements for access (e.g. some obsolete audio-visual or digital material)
- For large and/or heavy items that cannot be accessed in the library space
- For material held off-site
- For uncatalogued material.
Temporarily unavailable – unavailable to registered researchers on a temporary basis whilst a specific action is undertaken. Material may be made temporarily unavailable:
- While it is awaiting or undergoing conservation treatment
- While it is out on loan for exhibition
- While it is being digitised
- While it is undergoing an internal assessment (e.g. a sensitivity review).
Closed – not available for research, except with the permission of a relevant research ethics committee, where it can be demonstrated that access would not infringe the rights of any individuals mentioned in the material.
Further details on how we manage research access to our collections can be found in our published access procedures. Restrictions on access are applied for defined periods; special provisions may be made for depositors and community members consulting their own records.
In addition to our Core and Support Collections, we also provide access to:
- Licensed Resources – these are subscription databases, electronic journals and e-books made available under a licence from the publisher. Licensed resources are available to all library visitors. Selected resources are also available online to registered researchers.
- Collections requiring permission from the donor – under legacy terms of deposit for certain collections, we are obliged to ask researchers to obtain permission from the donor before consulting the material. Once permission has been granted, the material is available to consult at the library to registered researchers and copies are permitted, providing the material is classed as open.