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Using the Collections

Manuscript Division:

- Conditions of Use
- Reading Room Rules and Regulations
- Copyright Information and Permission to Quote
- WARNING: Collections Stored Off-site
- Request for Access to a Restricted Collection
- Special Notices

General Information and Policies:

- What You Need to Know to Use Library of Congress Reading Rooms (Library Security)

- Services for Researchers

CONDITIONS OF USE

The national manuscript collection may be consulted by any adult engaged in serious research who presents a valid Library of Congress issued reader card, completes the Manuscript Division's registration process, and agrees to adhere to the division's rules for the use of rare materials. Student access to collections is limited to those engaged in graduate study. Undergraduates with previous experience in using manuscripts who are working on a senior thesis, advanced seminar paper, or similar research project under the direction of a faculty member will be admitted upon an introduction in person or in writing by their advisers. Minors are not admitted to the Manuscript Reading Room.

All researchers are advised to e-mail or telephone the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site, and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Restrictions on the use of certain materials have been imposed by donors or for reasons of national security. Information governing the use of any specific group of manuscripts will be supplied upon request.

Prospective readers should bear in mind the restrictions on photocopying and publication imposed by the Copyright Act of 1976. It is the responsibility of the prospective users or their publishers to determine the copyright status or obtain the required permissions before publication of manuscript material from the Library's collections.

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READING ROOM RULES AND REGULATIONS

Prior to entering the Manuscript Reading Room, readers will be asked to read and sign a statement similar to the following:

Researchers are required to observe the following rules:

1. REGISTRATION. First-time users must complete a registration card. Readers must present a verified Library of Congress photo ID. Readers with unverified cards will be admitted only with the approval of the head of the reading room or senior staff. The security officer will enter the researcher's name, Library of Congress ID number, and locker number in the log. Each time a researcher enters or exits the reading room, the officer will annotate the log.

2. PERSONAL PROPERTY. No personal belongings, including briefcases, notebooks, books, folders, envelopes, purses, or hats are allowed in the reading room. The use of electronic communications devices, such as wireless phones and pagers, is prohibited, and such devices must be silenced. Laptop computers are allowed, but the use of any other electronic devices is subject to staff approval. Cameras and tripods are allowed for making research copies, but scanners are prohibited. Outer garments, including vests, sweaters with pockets, coats, suit coats, and sports jackets, are subject to search. Free lockers are provided to secure personal property. Exceptions may be requested for notes or other material essential to research. These items must be approved and stamped by reference staff before being brought into the reading room. Notes may be taken only on the paper or note cards provided in the reading room. Pens may not be used, and pencils are provided. Locker keys must be returned at the end of the day.

3. ALL CONTAINERS MUST STAY ON TRUCKS. Only one container at a time may be withdrawn from a box. Cardboard dummies are provided to mark the place where folders should be refiled. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIALS IN EACH FOLDER. Report any serious disarrangement to the reference staff.

4. PHOTOCOPYING. Researchers must bring all manuscripts to the desk for examination by reference staff before photocopying. In general, unbound manuscripts may be copied on the machines in the reading room. Exceptions include 1) donor-imposed restrictions, 2) fragile condition, 3) material owned by other repositories, and 4) classified material. Only one folder at a time may be withdrawn for photocopying. Microfilm copies must be stamped with the statement, Reproduced from the collections of the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. This appears automatically on reproductions made on the photocopy machines. In general, bound material can be reproduced by the Library's Photoduplication Service.

5. MICROFILM EDITIONS. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult microfilm editions as available unless there is compelling reason to consult the originals.

6. HELP SAVE OUR COLLECTIONS. Do not make marks on manuscripts, do not write notes on top of manuscripts, do not rest books or other objects on top of manuscripts. Handle loose sheets or bound pages by their edges; avoid touching the surface as much as possible. Exercise the greatest possible care in handling fragile manuscripts. The staff will furnish gloves for handling photographs and other especially vulnerable items.

7. COPYRIGHT. The status of copyright in the unpublished writings in the custody of the Manuscript Division is governed by the Copyright Act of 1976 (PL 94-553; Title 17, USC), and the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 (PL 105-298) (known as the "Sonny Bono" Act). It is the obligation of the researcher to fulfill the requirements of the Copyright Act. Since the Library of Congress ordinarily does not own the copyright in either published or unpublished manuscripts in its custody, it can neither grant nor deny permission to publish or quote in published form from manuscripts in its collections.

8. POLICE INSPECTION. All material that a researcher wishes to remove from the reading room must be examined by the security officer. It is a violation of federal law punishable by fine and/or imprisonment to steal or willfully damage or destroy manuscripts, books or other Library property. 18 USC 641; 18 USC 1361; 18 USC 2071; 22 D.C. Code 3106; and LCR 610 S 5, LCR 1812. Researchers should be aware that surveillance cameras are recording all activity in the Manuscript Reading Room.

9. Researchers must follow all directions of the reference staff regarding the handling of manuscript material.

I have read and agree to abide by the above rules and regulations of the Manuscript Division Reading Room. I understand that if I violate these rules, the Manuscript Division may deny me use of its facilities and collections.

Revised June 8, 2007

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION AND PERMISSION TO QUOTE

It should be noted that the Library of Congress ordinarily does not own the copyright in either published or unpublished manuscripts in its custody. Therefore it can neither grant nor deny permission to publish or quote in published form from manuscripts in its collections. It should also be noted that neither titles nor facts can be copyrighted; therefore, permission is not required to cite a collection as a source or to use facts from it.

In general, when copyright interests do subsist in unpublished manuscripts, these interests are the property of the author or of the author's heirs or assigns. Copyright ownership does not accompany physical ownership of a manuscript, although the owner of copyright interests may assign or sell such interests to the owner of the physical property.

For more information about copyright, please refer to the U. S. Copyright Office Web page at <http://www.copyright.gov>.

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COLLECTIONS STORED OFF-SITE

Readers interested in consulting any of the division's collections are advised to write or telephone the Manuscript Reading Room at (202) 707-5387 before visiting. Many processed and nearly all unprocessed collections are stored off site, and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Processed collections which are stored off-site are listed below. To obtain access to them, please contact the Manuscript Reading Room several days in advance of your visit to assure that the containers you wish to consult will be available when you arrive.

Although the list of off-site collections is updated periodically, the storage location of collections can change at any time. You are urged to contact the Manuscript Reading Room in advance of your visit, even if the collection you wish to use does not appear on this list.

Ace, Goodman
Aldrich, Nelson W.
Allen, Florence Ellinwood
Allen, Fred
Allen family
American Association of University Women
American Chemical Society
American Council of Learned Societies
American Gold Star Mothers
American Historical Association
American Medical Center for Burma
American Psychological Association
American Scholar
American Society of Landscape Architects
American Sociological Association
Amos 'n' Andy (Radio program)
Anderson, Clinton Presba
Anderson, Frank Maloy
Andrews, Frank Maxwell
Arnold, Henry Harley
Associated Press
Association of Research Libraries
Atlantic Union Committee

Baker, Ray Stannard
Balchen, Bernt
Bancroft-Bliss family
Barbee, James D. and Davis R.
Barnes, James Martin
Baroody, William J.
Barrett, John
Bartlett family
Barton, Clara
Bassett, John Spencer
Beale family
Becker, Florence Deakins
Beecher, Henry Ward
Beers, Henry Putney
Benjamin, Harold Raymond Wayne
Benson, William Shepherd
Berry, Faith
Bingham, Theodore A.
Black, Ruby A.
Blair family
Blair & Rives
Block, Ralph
Boggs, Samuel Whittemore
Book of the Month Club
Boone, Joel Thompson
Borah, William Edgar
Bork, Robert H.
Bowen, Catherine Drinker
Brademas, John
Brandon, Henry
Brasol, Boris Leo
Brennan, Francis Edwin
Brode, Wallace R.
Brooke, Edward W.
Brundage, Percival Flack
Buck, Solon J.
Bunau-Varilla, Philippe
Butterfield, Kenyon L.

Canal Zone Library-Museum
Carson, Johnny
Carter, Clarence Edwin
Carter, Thomas Henry
Caton, John Dean
Cecil, Robert Edgar
Chamberlain, Eugene Tyler
Chase, Lewis Nathaniel
Chase, Stuart
Chase family (Cornelius Chase)
Cheney, John Vance
Clapp family
Clark, Kenneth Bancroft
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland)
Cline, Howard Francis
Cline, Ray S.
Coan, Titus
Cockburn, George
Collins, Ross A.
Columbia Broadcasting System
Commoner, Barry
Connaly, Tom
Cook, Robert C.
Cooper, Hewitt & Company
Corey, Herbert
Croffut, W. A. (William Augustus)

Dahlgren, John Adolphus Bernard
Daniels, Josephus
Davenport, Marcia
Davis, James J.
Davisson, Clinton Joseph
Dawes, Henry L.
Dearstyne, Howard
Deland, Margaret Wade Campbell
Deming, W. Edwards (William Edwards)
Democratic Study Group
Denny, George Vernon
Dewey, George
Dike, Samuel Warren
Donaldson, Lavinia Pike McConnell
Doysie, Abel
Dumont, Henry

Eames, Charles and Ray
Eastham, Melville
Eckart, Carl
Elder, Abram P. T.
Eliot, George Fielding
ERAmerica
Ericsson, John
Etzioni, Amitai
Evans, Luther Harris
Evans, Rudulph
Everts, Lillian
Ewing family (Charles Ewing)

Fairchild, Sherman M.
Fitzpatrick, John Clement
Ford, Worthington Chauncey
Foulke, William Dudley
Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association
Friis, Harald Trap
Frontier Films
Fuller, Melville Weston

Garfield, Harry Augustus
Garfield, Lucretia Rudolph
Geleerd, Elisabeth R.
German Captured Documents
Gerson, N. C.
Gertz, Elmer
Gilchrist, Huntington
Gleason, Arthur Huntington
Goebel, Julius
Goldman, Eric Frederick
Goldsmith, Thomas T.
Golovin, Nicholas E.
Goodman, Leo
Granik, Theodore
Green, Theodore Francis
Greene, Lorenzo Johnston
Grey, Zane
Gridiron Club
Gruen, Victor
Gruenberg, Benjamin Charles and Sidonie
Guggenheim, Harry Frank

Haig, Alexander Meigs
Halsey, Edwin Alexander
Hamilton, Florence
Hammond, John Hays
Harlan, John Marshall
Harper's Magazine
Harris, Patricia (Roberts)
Harris, William Torrey
Harshaw, Ruth Hetzel
Hartmann, Heinz and Dora
Haworth, Leland John
Hayden, Edward Everett
Hensley, Stewart
Hill, Henry Aaron
Hillcrest Children's Center
Hollerith, Herman
Hornaday, William Temple
Horner, Frederick Cecil
Howard, Roy Wilson
Howard-von Recum family
Hubbard family
Hutchinson, Ralph Cooper
Hyman, Stanley Edgar

International Psycho-Analytical Association
Ireland. Parliament. House of Commons (debates)
Iturbide, Augustin de

Jenckes, Thomas Allen
Joelson, Charles Samuel
Johnston, Mercer Green

Kalmus, Herbert Thomas
Keene, Frances Bowler
King, Alexander
Kingsbury, John Adams
Kline, Burton
Klyce, Scudder
Kowalski, Frank
Kroll, Lucy

Lachman, Gisella Rabinerson
Lattimore, Owen
Lawton, Henry Ware
League of Women Voters (U.S.)
LeJeune, John Archer
Leland, Waldo Gifford
Letts d'Espil, Courtney
Leventhal, Harold
Lewin, Bertram David
Lewis, Anthony
Lewis, Nolan Don Carpenter
Library of Congress. Records
Liebengood, Howard S.
Literary Society of Washington
Little, Arthur D.
Loewenstein, Rudolph Maurice
Logan, Joshua
Louchheim, Katie
Luce, Henry Robinson

MacDowell, Marian
Machen, Lewis H.
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer)
Maldarelli, Oronzio
Malina, Frank J.
Marburg, Theodore
March, Peyton Conway
Marshall, Charles Clinton
Marshall, Peter
Martin, John Bartlow
McCormick, Lynde Dupuy
McGee, Anita Newcomb
McGee, W. J.
McGowan, Carl
Mearns, Edgar Alexander
Mercy-Argenteau family
Meyer, Cord
Michener, James A.
Middleton, George
Miller, Adolph Caspar
Miller, David Hunter
Mitchell, Samuel Chiles
Moore, Merrill
Moral Re-Armament
Morris, Arthur J.
Morris, Roland Sletor
Moss, Arnold
Moynihan, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick)
Mueller, G. E. (George Edwin)
Mulford, Clarence Edward
Munroe, Kirk
Murdock, Victor
Murray, John M. (John Milne)

National Association for Universal Military Training
National Committee on Atomic Information
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Jewish Women, Washington, D.C., Office
National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education
National Society of Arts and Letters
National Woman's Party
Neufeld, Maurice F.
Newell, Frederick Haynes
Nichols, William Ichabod
Niederland, William G.

Oberholser, Harry Church
Ogilvy, David
Osborn, Fairfield
Oxnam, G. Bromley (Garfield Branley)

Paine, Thomas O.
Patterson, Frederick D. (Frederick Douglass)
Patterson, Jefferson
Patterson, Richard Sharpe
Patterson-Winslow family
Payne, Ethel L.
Pickerill, Elmo N. (Elmo Neale)
Pinchot, Cornelia Bryce
Pinchot, Gifford
Pincus, Gregory
Podhoretz, Norman
Polish declarations of admiration and friendship for the United States
Poor, Alfred Easton
Prettyman, Elijah Barrett
Price, Vincent
Progressive Party National Committee
Purves, Edmund Randolph

Quay, Matthew Stanley
Quinn, David B.

Rash, Bryson B.
Rawleigh, William Thomas
Regan, Donald T.
Reichelderfer, Francis W. (Francis Wilton)
Ribicoff, Abraham
Richards, Grant
Riis, Roger William
Rivers, L. Mendel (Lucius Mendel)
Roberts, Benjamin Titus
Roberts, Elizabeth Madox
Robertson, James Alexander
Robson, May
Roth, Philip
Rubey, William Walden
Rukeyser, Muriel
Russell Sage Foundation
Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America. Alaska Diocese
Rustin, Bayard

Sayre, Francis Bowes
Schmitt, Bernadotte Everly
Schur, Max
Schwellenbach, Lewis B. (Lewis Baxter)
Seaborg, Glenn Theodore
Sevareid, Eric
Sewall, Joseph
Shackford, Roland Herbert
Shapiro, Henry
Sheldon, Mary French
Sifton, Paul Field and Claire Ginsburg
Simmons, James Fowler
Simpson, Matthew
Sioussat, St. George L.
Smith, Charles Perley
Smith, Hedrick L.
Smythe, Hugh H.
Sobeloff, Simon Ernest
Society of Woman Geographers
Solberg, Thorvald
South Carolina. Vice-Admiralty Court at Charles Town
Spencer, Lyman Potter
Sperry, Charles S. (Charles Stillman)
Steele, Fletcher
Stephens, Harold Montelle
Stephenson, John Aldrich (Hand, Fiske, and Aldrich families)
Stevenson, Burton Egbert
Stimson, Ralph H.
Streit, Clarence K.
Summerall, Charles Pelot
Sutherland, George
Sweetser, Arthur
Swidler, Joseph C. (Joseph Charles)

Taft, Charles P. (Charles Phelps)
Taft, Robert
Talmage, T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt)
Tracy, Benjamin Franklin
Turpeau, Anne B. (Anne Brock)

United States. American Commission to Negotiate Peace
United States. Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commission Society

Von Braun, Werhner

Ward, Lester Frank
Wayman, Dorothy G. (Dorothy Godfrey)
Wertham, Frederic
Wexler, Harry
Williams, Robert Ramapatnam
Wilson, Donald
Wilson, Robert E.
World Calendar Association
Wright, J. Skelly
Writers' War Board

Zwemer, Ramund L. (Raymund Lull)

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SPECIAL NOTICES

There are no special notices at this time.

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  August 21, 2008
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