Reference Policies

Sections

Collections Use
Appointments
Reference Requests
Research Requests
Individual Research Assistance
Photocopying
Photo Duplication/Digital Imaging

Collections Use

The Special Collections Reading Room is open to researchers Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All patrons are required to register and present a valid photo ID prior to using the collections. For your convenience, patrons may use our online Registration Form to register prior to visiting Special Collections. The Special Collections Reading Room is closed major and university holidays.

Special Collections reserves the right to decide what materials in the collection are available for use and reproduction, and what form that reproduction may take. Patrons who fail to abide by the Special Collections Research Use Policy may be denied access to Special Collections materials and be subject to other penalties as well.

Due to their unique and sometimes fragile nature, Special Collections materials do not circulate; they must be used in the Special Collections Reading Room only. Food and Drink are not permitted in the Reading Room and only #2 pencils may be used for note taking. Cell phones need to be set to vibrate or turned off. All materials not needed for note taking must be checked-in upon registration. Laptops are permitted in the Reading Room, and the UCF Library does have laptops available for checkout at the Periodicals/AV desk located on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library.

Patrons must obtain permission from Special Collections staff for the use of digital cameras and scanners in the Reading Room.

Appointments

Appointments are not necessary, but are encouraged. Please use the Online Appointment Form to request an appointment. By contacting us prior to your visit, Special Collections staff can help you determine what collections are needed, have materials pulled and ready for your use, and explain any restrictions which may apply. Occasionally, the Reading Room is closed for Special Events and Staff Meetings. Evening and Weekend appointments are subject to staff availability.

Reference Requests

All reference requests must be made in writing. Patrons are asked to use our Online Reference Form to submit their request or email Special Collections. Please see Contact Us for telephone reference and fax numbers. Telephone reference is limited to questions about Special Collections and University Archives holdings that can be answered in five minutes or less.

Research Requests

Any requests that require Special Collections staff to conduct research, other than ready reference requests, will be processed through the Library's InfoSource office. Please allow a minimum of 48 hours to 1 week response time, depending on method of submittal. Rush requests can be made for an additional fee.

Individual Research Assistance

To assist students with class projects and specialized research, we are happy to hold individual research consultations with both undergraduate and graduate students. To schedule an Individual Research Consultation, please use our Online Individual Research Consultation Form.

Photocopying

Materials in Special Collections may be protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) which governs reproduction, distribution, public display and certain other uses of protected works. Any and all responsibility for questions of copyright and/or other legal questions which may arise from facsimile reproduction of materials from the collections, or from the use of such reproductions, will be assumed by the user. Please see our copyright notice and the UCF Libraries' copyright policy for more information.

By providing photocopies, photo reproductions, digital images and electronic copies, Special Collections does NOT convey the right to publish or reproduce Special Collections materials. Permission to Publish must be obtained from the UCF Libraries Special Collections & University Archives in writing. Photocopies may not be reduplicated or deposited elsewhere without the prior written consent of the Head of Special Collections.

Photocopies are made by Special Collections staff only, as time permits. No photocopy requests may be placed within 15 minutes of closing. To protect bound volumes, staff will only copy one page per copy.

Patrons are charged $0.10 per copy. Change can not be provided. Non-UCF patrons can obtain a visitor smart card from two dispensers located in the main library. A visitor card costs $1.00 and patrons can load using debit card, credit card or paper bill.