Rights and Reproductions

Overview 

As part of our mission to make our collections available for research and outreach, the Institute provides digital reproductions of materials for scholarly and general use. Requests are fulfilled to the extent allowed by the format, physical condition, staff resources, time constraints, and any applicable restrictions. All requests are subject to review by curatorial staff, and the Institute reserves the right to revise or refuse a reproduction request. 

Digital reproductions are available in JPEG, TIFF, MP4, MKV, AVI, andand PDF formats depending on the format of the physical item and the intended use (i.e., scholarly research, publication, exhibition, etc.). Other desired formats will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Reproduction fees are charged for on-demand digitization and assessed based on the staff time and resources required to complete the request. Discounts or fee waivers are available for scholarly and nonprofit use. Additional charges may apply to complex and large orders requiring special handling, sending a/v materials out to a vendor to be digitized, and/or rush requests. 

Initiating a Request 

The Institute receives requests for digital reproductions through the reproductions@sciencehistory.org distribution list, e-mail, staff referrals, Institute colleagues, and occasionally by phone or letter.   

In most instances, the initial point of contact for digital reproduction requests will be reproductions@sciencehistory.org. Emails directed to the Reproductions inbox create a support ticket in the portal support system which is monitored by the Digital Collections Librarian, who coordinates requests for library and archival materials, and the Digital Preservation Archivist, who coordinates born-digital and video requests. The Museum Collections Manager and Registrar should be contacted upon the receipt of museum item requests.  

Requests are logged and tracked via the Support Portal. Tickets are automatically created upon email to reproductions but must be manually created for requests via phone or letter.  

Upon receipt of a request, staff will determine if a digital image or video already exists or if new digitization is required. 

Existing digital images are stored in the following locations: 

• Digital Collections: https://digital.sciencehistory.org/  

• P:\Special Collections\Rights and Reproductions\Digital Images 

• R:\pp5\Images (Thumbnails associated with Past Perfect records) 

• I:\OPAC Image Files (Primarily rare book images) 

• Contemporary event images and institutional records: P:\CHF Media and Portfolio (access through Citrix) 

• P:\Media\LSF (Images from Life Sciences Foundation publications can often be found here) 

• M:\Archives (digitized film, video, and born-digital collections can be found here) 

If an existing digital image or video is available, staff should follow up with the patron to confirm that the file meets the required specifications (file type, resolution, etc.) for the intended use. If the file is satisfactory, it is copied to P:\Special Collections\External Access and staff will send the patron a link to download the file through Egnyte (files.sciencehistory.org).  

To complete the request, staff provide the patron with the appropriate credit line for the image and advise the patron as to the copyright status of the work (where applicable). The Institute does not charge reproduction or usage fees for existing digital images (up to 10 images.) For requests exceeding 10 images, a service fee of $25 per additional 10 images may be applied for the staff time required to locate the images and transfer them to the patron. 

If an existing digital image or video is NOT available, then staff should proceed to conduct an on-demand digitization service.

On-Demand Digitization 

If digitization of library or archival materials is required, the Digital Collections Librarian will coordinate the fulfillment of the request with the curator who manages the collection. Some requests do not require high-resolution images. Inquire if cell phone images or scans are sufficient for the user’s needs. If so, forward the request to the responsible collection manager. 

Upon receiving a request, the curator checks the item’s condition and copyright status and determines if the request can be fulfilled. If approved, the Digital Collections Librarian or Digital Preservation Archivist will provide the patron with a quote for digitization and estimated turn-around time. For on-demand digitization, the Institute charges a per-hour reproduction fee assessed based on the staff time and resources required to complete the request (for specific pricing, please refer to the fee structure at the end of this document).  Discounts or fee waivers are available for scholarly and nonprofit use and may be granted at the discretion of the curator or Digital Collections staff. 

If the patron wishes to proceed, the Digital Collections Librarian adds the request to the R&R queue in the Digital Collections application (https://digital.sciencehistory.org/admin/r_and_r_items) and submits an Invoice Request Form to Kate Perkins: P:\Special Collections\Rights and Reproductions\Invoice Request Forms.  

The average turnaround time for on-demand digitization of library and archival materials is two weeks. The Digital Collections Technician communicates the estimated turn-around time to the patron and, in the event of a rush request, determines if the request can be fulfilled within the desired time frame. 

On-demand requests are digitized per current standards for the Institute’s Digital Collections unless otherwise specified per patron request. Once the file is ready for delivery, the Digital Collections Librarian sends the patron a link to download the image(s) through Egnyte Cloud Server (files.sciencehistory.org; save files in P:\Special Collections\External Access). To complete the request, the Digital Collections Librarian, in consultation with the curator, provides the patron with the appropriate credit line for the image(s) or video and advises the patron as to the copyright status of the work. 

Copyright and Usage Agreements 

Possession of a digital reproduction of the Institute’s collection materials does not constitute permission to publish, exhibit, or distribute. In most instances, the Institute does not hold the copyright to materials in its collections and cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Accordingly, the Institute does not issue usage or licensing agreements for the use of digital images of its collection materials and does not sign usage or licensing agreements provided by third parties. 

The Institute staff will make every effort to inform patrons of copyrights and other restrictions that may apply to the works being reproduced. However, patrons are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for the intended use.  

Suggested Fee Structure for Digital Reproductions 

Existing digital images 

The Institute does not charge reproduction or usage fees for existing digital images up to 10 images. For requests exceeding 10 images, a service fee of $25 per additional 10 images may be applied for the staff time required to locate the images and transfer them to the patron. 

Standard Digital Photography  

Suitable for most 2-D materials, including individual photographs, correspondence or loose pages, illustrations, and individual plates in a bound volume. 

Studio Digital 3-D Photography 

Requests for 3-D photography are considered on a case-by-case basis by the Collections Manager and Registrar. Currently, 3-D photography requests are fulfilled by an external contract photographer, with photographer fees paid by the patron requesting the photography.  

Standard VHS Tape Digitization 

Any A/V format other than VHS has to be sent out to a vendor for digitization. Prices can vary. George Blood A/V charges $250 for 10-15 min of 16mm film and $500 for 45-60 min.

Rush service 

The standard turnaround time for on-demand digitization is two weeks for standard digital photography. Rush service may be available on a case-by-case basis, depending on staffing levels and the size, condition, and/or accessibility of the item or source material. When initiating a request, the Digital Collections Technician will consult with the appropriate curator or collections staff and advise the patron if rush service is available.