Rights and Reproductions

Digital reproductions of materials are available for scholarly and general use.

Digital Reproduction Services

As part of our mission to make our collections available for research and outreach, the Science History Institute provides digital reproductions of materials for scholarly and general use. Requests are fulfilled to the extent allowed by the format, physical condition, 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, and PDF formats depending on the format of the physical item and the intended use (i.e., scholarly research, publication, exhibition, etc.). Reproduction fees are 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.

Turnaround time for reproduction requests is typically two to three weeks, although some orders can be fulfilled in a shorter period based on staff time and availability. If working under a deadline, patrons must notify The Institute staff when placing a request. Additional charges may be assessed for rush orders.

To initiate a request, send an email to [email protected]. Be sure to include as much information as possible about the requested item(s), including object ID number, collection name, title, and call number, where applicable. In addition, please include a brief description of your intended use and advise staff if you are working under a deadline to complete the request.

For information on document delivery or interlibrary loan, or to schedule a research visit, see Library Services.

Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright: 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 its materials and cannot grant or deny permission to use them. 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.

Fair Use: The U.S. Copyright Law contains an exception for the so-called fair use of copyrighted materials for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, research, criticism, commentary, and news reporting. Patrons are solely responsible for determining whether their intended use of a copyrighted work is fair and responding to any claims of copyright infringement that may arise from use of the material. For more information on copyright and fair use, please refer to the U.S. Copyright Office website.