Guidelines for Using Materials

The following guidelines are necessary to protect rare books, archival collections, manuscripts, and other materials during use. Reading room privileges may be limited or withdrawn for failure to comply with all procedures and any special restrictions on collections. Mutilation or theft of archival and library materials is illegal under Pennsylvania statutes, and offenders will be prosecuted.

• Access: Materials are available to all patrons subject to the following rules and procedures. Use of archival, manuscript, pictorial, audio-visual, and other unpublished materials may be subject to additional restrictions.
  
• Personal Property: Patrons are required to sign in for a locker key at the reception desk and place personal property in lockers. Paper and pencils or a laptop computer are allowed in the reading room and may be inspected upon leaving. Locker keys must be returned to the reception desk by the end of each day.
  
• Restrictions: Smoking, eating, or drinking are NOT permitted. Cell phones and sound recording equipment may not be used and should be left in the patron's locker.
  
• Handling:
  • Handle materials with extreme care, and leave them in the same condition in which they were provided.
  • Make no marks on the materials, write no notes on top of materials, make no tracings of maps or drawings, and rest no books or other objects on the face or surface of items used.
  • Handle loose sheets or book pages by the edge; avoid touching the surface with hands.
  • Wear gloves at all times when handling unsleeved photographs.
  • No adhesives or Post-it notes may be used on materials
  • All single-sheet materials must be kept flat on tables.
  • Foam book supports and book weights are available to gently hold open tightly-bound books or those in fragile condition. If you are unfamiliar with their use, please ask for assistance.
  • Use only pencils for taking notes.
    
• Existing Order: Maintain the existing order of unbound materials and photographs; in particular, do not mix materials from different folders. Report any disarrangement or vandalism to the staff member in charge.
  
• Return: Notify staff before leaving the reading room for the day or for an extended period. If you intend to return within the week, you may request that staff hold your materials for you. Materials may not be removed from the reading room. We reserve the right to inspect bags and folders when you leave Special Collections.
  

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