We ask for your understanding of the policies that balance the need for access with the long-term preservation of the collections, and appreciate your cooperation.
Special Collections is open to the members of the UB community, visiting scholars and the general public. All materials are housed in environmentally controlled and secure stack areas on and off-site and are made available for use in the Special Collections Reading Room.
All collections are non-circulating and are retrieved for researchers upon request. Some materials are located off-site. Requests to view unprocessed or off-site materials require advanced notice; contact us with your request at least 10 working days prior to your visit.
We also encourage you to explore the appropriate Finding Aid or Libraries' Catalog to become familiar with any collection you want to access before your visit.
What to bring
What not to bring
Due to the uniqueness of the collection, we ask that you do not bring:
Other things to know
Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information
Manuscript collections that include twentieth and twenty-first-century archival materials may contain sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state "right to privacy" laws, including but not limited to certain educational, medical, financial, criminal, attorney-client, and personnel records. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal cause for action if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person.
The staff has taken care to identify and, in some cases, remove Personally Identifiable Information found within its archival collections when undertaking archival processing work. However, privacy-protected information may be revealed during the use of the archival collections, particularly in those collections that are unprocessed or have been minimally processed.
Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy-protected information if found within the archival collections, and further agree not to publish, publicize, or disclose such information to any other party for any purpose if found within the archival collections.
Researchers agree to indemnify and hold harmless the University at Buffalo and its officers, employees, and agents from and against all suits, claims, actions, and expenses arising out of the use of archival collections held by the University at Buffalo.
Photocopying, Scanning, and the Use of Digital Cameras
Photocopying and Scanning
Photocopies or scans will be made for a fee if the Special Collections staff determines this will not harm the material. A permission form must be completed before a photocopy or scanning request is completed. Further permission from the copyright holder may be necessary, especially for manuscript materials (see the copyright statements below).
Use of Digital Cameras
There is a charge of $10 per day to take photographs for the personal use of Special Collections material in the Reading Room.
The use of digital cameras, cell phones or tablets to photograph a limited amount of material is permissible if prior arrangements have been made with Special Collections staff. Flash is prohibited. A permission form must be completed before taking any photographs. Further permission from the copyright holder may be necessary, especially for manuscript materials (see the copyright statements below).
| Reproduction | UB rate* | External (non-UB) rate |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Use | ||
| Digital Camera Use | $1.72/day | $10/day |
| Photocopies | ||
| Photocopies—Plain Paper | $0.29/page | $0.29/page |
| Photocopies—Manuscript Paper (unpublished materials) | $1.15/page | $1.15/page |
| Scans** | ||
| Black and White Scans for Personal Use | $2.30/page | $2.30/page |
| Black and White Scans for Publication | $2.30/page | $30-120/page |
| Color Scans for Personal Use | $2.30/page | $10/page |
| Color Scans for Publication | $2.30/page | $30-120/page |
| CDs/DVDs | ||
| CD/DVD | $1.72/each | $15/each |
Scans and copies will only be released after payment and permission forms are received.
* UB rates include GUSF. Please contact us for rates if you are a member of UB paying from funds originating within UB, including state, RF, UBF, and Faculty Student Association (FSA) Funds.
** Please contact us for large format (>11”x17”) scan rates.
Payment
Payment may be made by credit card or check:
The Poetry Collection
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], The Poetry Collection of the University Libraries, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Rare & Special Books
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], Rare & Special Books, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
Robert L. Brown History of Medicine
[Description and date of item], Box/folder number, Collection number, [Collection name], [Collection dates], The Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
University Archives
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], [Collection number], [Collection name], [Collection dates], University Archives, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.
The Poetry Collection
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the author's heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
Rare & Special Books
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the author's heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and Rare & Special Books before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
Robert L. Brown History of Medicine
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the author's heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Once permission is obtained, most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
University Archives
Copyright is held by the State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the author's heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library’s usual procedures unless otherwise specified.
The WATCH list of copyright contacts (https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/Watch) is a useful place to begin searching for the estates of writers and artists.
For more general information about copyright and the public domain, visit http://www.copyright.cornell.edu.
