Archives Use Policy

All processed collections are available for on-site, in-person research use free of charge.

Anybody interested in conducting research using the Society’s processed archival collections must contact the archives staff to discuss their research topic and to arrange visit date(s). All archive access is by appointment only, and arrangements must be made directly with the archives staff (archives@shevchenko.org.org).

All researchers are required to complete, sign, and return the Archive Registration Form prior to their arrival at the Society. Researchers must present a photo ID and agree to abide by the Society’s Rules and regulations.

If you are unable to come in person, the archive staff may be able to provide limited research services (depending on their schedule and availability) for a fee.

Unfortunately, our collections are not accessible online.

Rules and regulations

Researchers at the Shevchenko Scientific Society Archives are required to abide by the following rules and regulations:

  • Coats, briefcases, bags, purses, parcels, scanners or other reproductive devices, pens, computer cases, folders, notebooks, personal books, papers, and similar items are not permitted in the research area.
  • Smoking is prohibited. Food, drink (including water bottles), tobacco, and chewing gum are prohibited in the research area.
  • Researchers are forbidden from carrying archival materials outside of the designated research area.
  • Researchers are to have only one box on their table at a time, and all folders must remain in the box when not in use. Only one folder may be in use at any time, and it must remain flat on the table.
  • Researchers are required to exercise care for the materials being made available to them.
    • Researchers must keep the materials in their existing order within each folder, and maintain the order of folders within a box.
    • Materials are not to be leaned on, written on, bent, folded, traced, fastened with rubber bands or paper clips, or handled in any way that could damage them.
    • The researcher must not attempt to remove or disassemble any existing staples or fasteners.
    • Materials must not be removed from protective sleeves.
    • Researchers may be required to wear gloves or adhere to special handling procedures at the direction of the archivist.
  • Only pencils may be used for note taking. Pencils and note paper will be provided by the Center free of charge. Researchers may not bring their own notebooks or note paper to the research area. Laptop computers (removed from their cases) may be used at the discretion of archive staff.
  • All of the researcher’s belongings are subject to search.
  • Access to archive storage areas is forbidden to researchers.
  • Researchers are prohibited from photocopying or scanning any materials in the archive. Any desired photocopies or scans will be done by Society staff. Please see the fee schedule for reproduction costs.
    • Do not remove materials from folders for copying. The archivist will explain the procedure for flagging material to be copied.
    • Photocopying or scanning may take several business days or longer to complete. A more precise time estimate will be provided by archive staff at the time of the request.
    • The archivist may forbid the copying of materials that could be damaged by duplication, and may assess additional fees for items that require special handling or are in unusual formats.
    • The Society reserves the right to restrict the quantity of reproduction. For example, reproduction of entire folders or bound volumes is generally not allowed.
  • Rearchers may take photographs of archival items using hand-held cameras or smart phones without flash subject to restrictions. See Digital Photography Policy below.
  • US copyright law governs the making of copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. If a researcher requests or uses a copy (photographic or handwritten) in excess of fair use, that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
    • The nature of historical archival collections can make copyright, literary rights, or restrictions on use difficult to determine. The archivist may provide guidance about copyright owners and possible restrictions. Such information is provided in good faith and to the best of the Society’s knowledge, but it does not constitute legal advice. The researcher (not the Society) is responsible for legal due diligence.
  • Photocopies and scans are for private use, scholarship, and research only, and cannot be donated or sold. Images of archival materials cannot be exhibited, broadcast, or published (in print or online) without the specific authorization of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in accordance with its Use Policy.
  • Quotations from or references to the contents of materials in the Shevchenko Scientific Society Archives must be properly cited in any publications.
    • The form of the citation will be provided by the archivist, and can also be found in the “Preferred Citation” note within the finding aid of each collection.
    • A complimentary copy of any published work would be greatly appreciated by the Society.
  • The Society reserves the right to deny access to anyone who fails to comply with these regulations or who acts disruptively.

Fee schedule

Reproductions

Any reproduction of material in the archival collections of the Shevchenko Scientific Society is at the discretion of the archive staff. Society staff will handle all reproduction work, and may restrict the quantity or types of material that can be reproduced.

The personal use of hand-held digital cameras in the reading room is allowed subject to Rules and restrictions (see above).

Digital reproductions

  • Low resolution JPEG: $1.00 per image or page. Publication-quality high-resolution TIFF: $25 per image or page.
  • In addition to per-page charges, all reproduction work will also include a labor service charge of $25 per hour, with a minimum charge of $12.50 (for jobs requiring 30 minutes or less). Orders over 50 pages are subject to a 20% surcharge of the total cost.
  • Delivery by Postal Service mail on CD or DVD-ROM: $5. Electronic delivery by email or file sharing service is free.
  • Staff time is extremely limited. Please allow 3-6 weeks for fulfillment.

Please note that a digital reproduction includes only an image of the item or page that has not had any optical character recognition performed on it, and therefore does not contain any computer-searchable text. Society staff cannot provide any OCR or transcription services.

Also note that these fees are for reproduction services only, and does not include permission to publish. Publication permission for images of items in the Society’s collections may be granted under the Society’s Use Policy and may require an additional fee which depends on the type of material, the publication or broadcast medium, and the commercial/non-commercial nature of the request. Publication of limited quotations from or summaries of the content of archival materials does not require permission, but does require proper citation.

Research Services

If you are unable to come to the Center in person, the archive staff may be able to provide limited research services (depending on their schedule and availability). The first 30 minutes are free, and more in-depth research for a fee of $50 per hour (in addition to any fees for paper or digital reproductions). Please contact the archival staff (archives@Shevchenko.org) to discuss your needs and to check availability.

Translation Services

Due to staff time limitations, we cannot provide translation services for the many non-English language holdings in our collections.

Digital photography policy

Patrons are permitted to take their own digital photographs of archival items (subject to donor restrictions) for their personal and research use with small, handheld cameras, tablet computers, or smartphones (with all sound features disabled). Tripods, scanners, camera flashes, or special lighting are not allowed. All photographs must include within the frame a tag containing the name of the repository and disclaimers (will be provided by the archivist).

Patron photographs may not be exhibited, broadcast, or published (in print or online) without the specific authorization of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in accordance with its Use Policy.

Loose materials being photographed must remain in folders and flat. Photography of bound volumes or large/unusual format objects is at the discretion of the archives staff. Material cannot be placed on the floor, and standing on furniture is strictly prohibited. Materials should not be removed from Mylar or other protective housings. Any paper clips, staples, and other fasteners that may be present are not to be removed.

No pictures may be taken of the room itself, other patrons, or archives staff.

Patrons must keep complete and accurate citations (collection names, box/folder numbers, item identifiers, and/or page numbers, as appropriate) for all items photographed. Patrons must use provided forms for this purpose, a copy of which will be retained by the archives.

The Center reserves the right to deny requests or revoke this permission for any reason.

Copyright policy

The Copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. The user agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Shevchenko Scientific Society against all claims, demands, costs and expenses incurred by copyright infringement or any other legal or regulatory cause of action arising from the use of the Society’s materials.