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ARB Services

Rules Governing Use of Archives and Rare Books

The Archives and Rare Book Division (ARB) serves Washington University faculty, staff, and students, and other scholars and researchers with particular scholarly needs for materials in the collections. Reading room hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or by appointment.

  1. All archives and rare books must be used in the reading room. They may not be borrowed. Researchers are not allowed access to the storage areas.
  2. Researchers may keep at the table only those materials needed for research. All other personal articles must be left in the lockers at the reception desk.
  3. The guest register must be signed when a researcher enters the reading room.
  4. A researcher using ARB materials or services must complete and sign a research form. A research form is for a single research project and is valid for one calendar year.
  5. Archival material and rare books must be handled with great care. When using rare books, rest the volume securely in a book cradle. Do not force open volumes more than 120 degrees. When using archival materials in boxes, remove only one folder from a box at a time. Do not remove materials from the folders. Maintaining the exact order of material in a folder and folders within a box is of singular importance. If a mistake in arrangement is discovered, please call it to the attention of the assistant. Do not re-arrange material yourself.
  6. Marks may neither be added nor erased. Materials may not be leaned on, written on, traced, folded or handled in any way that may damage them.
  7. The use of pens and indelible pencils is not permitted in the reading room. Computers may be used for note taking if not objected to by other researchers.
  8. Photocopying and digital copying archival materials is possible when it can be done without injury to the materials and when it does not violate donor agreements or copyright restrictions. Permission to duplicate does not constitute permission to publish. Rare books can be copied only face up with digital or film cameras or face-up book copiers. Rare books cannot be photocopied. All photocopying and digital copying is to be done by ARB staff. Researchers may be permitted to take pictures with their own cameras with assistance of ARB staff. See the Reading Room reception table for instructions on how to properly flag materials to be duplicated and for reproduction charges.
  9. Photographic reproduction services are also available. The ARB division reserves the right to retain negatives made in producing copies. A list of photographic services and current prices is available in the Reading Room.
  10. The use of certain materials is restricted by statute, by the creator, or by the donor. The ARB division also reserves the right to restrict access to archives and rare books which are not arranged, are being processed, or are exceptionally valuable or fragile. In some cases, copies may be substituted for the originals.
  11. The revised copyright law, which took effect in 1978, provides protection for all unpublished material created prior to 1978, except that in the public domain, for the life of the author plus 70 years. The researcher accepts full legal responsibility for observing the copyright law, as well as the laws of libel, invasion of privacy, and property rights. For more information consult the Cornell University Copyright Information Center Public Domain Chart – http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/.
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Fee Schedule

Photocopies

Black & white – $ 0.35/page (one page per copy only)

Photographic & Digital Reproductions

1. Washington University and Medical Center researchers (undergraduate students inquire for separate schedule):

If MedPIC does the work

If ARB does the work

2. Alumni of Washington University:

3. Non-University, non-Medical Center researchers for non-profit projects:

4. For profit researchers:

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Copyright and Permission

The Bernard Becker Medical Library offers public access to the materials in it archival and rare book collections as a contribution to education and scholarship. The Library retains all rights to the reproduction of these files and images.

Some materials in the collections may be protected by copyright. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Bernard Becker Medical Library and/or the copyright owners.

FAIR USE

Digital images, audio and other files from the Bernard Becker Medical Library Web site and its online exhibits may be used for private study, scholarship and research under the provisions of Fair Use (United States Code, Title 17, section 107) which allows limited use of copyrighted materials under certain conditions. Under Fair Use, images from this site may be viewed, printed, photocopied, or downloaded without prior permission, provided proper attribution of the source is provided on all copies.

For any other use of these images and audio files, including but not limited to display, publication and commercial use, permission of the copyright holder must be obtained.

EDUCATIONAL USE VS. COMMERCIAL USE

Bernard Becker Medical Library encourages educational use of the images at no charge. We would appreciate your taking the time to tell us about your class and its use of the archival materials. If you wish to use images for publication or commercial purpose, or need an actual-size reproduction, higher quality images (300 dpi TIF) are available for a nominal fee by contacting the Archives & Rare Books Department at 314-362-4236 or by e-mail to arb@wusm.wustl.edu.

All other copyright holders retain full rights. They should be contacted directly.

MODIFICATION OF THE MATERIAL

In the interest of scholarship and in order to assure authenticity of the information, we expressly request that no text, image, or audio excerpt from the Bernard Becker Medical Library Web site or any of its online exhibits be modified in any way without our permission in writing.

RE-PUBLICATION AND LINKS

It is inappropriate to link to any one section of this Web site or to any one section of any of our online exhibits, or to embed a portion from these sites internal to your own, since this obscures the nature of our own Web publication. A link to the entire Web site is appreciated. As a courtesy, please let us know that you have created a link, and provide us the URL to your own site.

ATTRIBUTION OF SOURCE

Citations, quotations, and use of images from our collection made under Fair Use or with permission of the copyright holder must acknowledge their source as: Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, Campus Box 8132, St. Louis, Missouri.

PERMISSION FOR USE

Users assume all liability for copyright infringement. If permission for publication is given, it is given on behalf of the Bernard Becker Medical Library as owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the user. Users assume all liability for copyright infringement and are advised to contact Becker Medical Library for permission to display, publish, use commercially, or make any other use of the digital images and files in these collections except as allowed under fair use. Most commercial requests for publication are subject to use fees.

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Assessing Book Values

Library staff occasionally are asked to give an opinion or estimate of market value for old and potentially rare books. While staff are prohibited from personally conducting appraisals or searching for price information, they can guide library patrons to the appropriate resources.

A useful starting point is Your Old Books. This document answers many common questions and presents basic criteria that influence the value of any printed item.

Searching the item at online used and out-of-print book sites can give a cursory idea of its relative scarcity and market value. Exploring several sites is highly recommended. Although the Becker Library does not endorse any particular establishments, the following sites offer a sampling of antiquarian books on the market:

Professional appraisers and booksellers should be consulted for complete evaluation. Many of these can be found in the annual membership directory of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America.

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