Special Collections: Visitor Information

Important notes for visitors. Please take time to read these, especially if this is your first visit.
 

Admission

• The opening hours of the Special Collections Reading Room
• The University reserves the right to refuse admission.

Security and Collection Care

• Bags and coats must be left in the lockers in the basement; there are clear plastic bags available in the Special Collections Reading Room for valuables that should be kept with you at all times. We also have a cloakroom next to the locker room with a lockable rack, which readers are welcome to use.
• The Special Collections Reading Room is open to visitors for reference and research purposes only. Special Collections materials must not be removed from the Reading Room.
• No pens may be used in the Reading Room. Pencils are available at the Information Desk.
• Documents, books and other Special Collections items must not be marked in any way.
• No item of food or drink may be brought into the Reading Room.
• Smoking is not permitted in any University building.
• All material should be handled with care and in accordance with Special Collections handling guidelines, which are set out below

Access to Collections and Services

• Access to certain materials is subject to special conditions, e.g. readers may be required to wear gloves.
• Do not change the order of the loose material; the arrangement must remain the same.
• Material held in the vaults must be requested in advance in writing. Producing documents on the day may be difficult.
• Readers who know they will need access to the microfilm reader-scanner are advised to mention this when they make an appointment to visit so that an appropriate desk may be reserved.

Reader Responsibilities

• Readers should not behave in any way likely to disturb others.
• Mobile phones and personal audio equipment should be switched off in the Reading Room.
• Cameras without flash and mobile phones with photographic capability may not be used in the Reading Room without staff permission. A form must be completed before photocopying or digital photography of any Special Collections material. It allows copies/photographs to be taken for fair dealing purposes (i.e. research or study). Publication of any such copies or photographs is not allowed. It may, however, be possible to publish material subject to copyright and to prepayment of an agreed fee.

Making copies in the Special Collections Reading Room

Making copies (whether scans, photocopies or photographs) is subject to compliance with any appropriate legislation e.g. copyright or GDPR restrictions, to the type of material and to the condition of the material.

• All photocopying is at the discretion of the staff member on duty. Permission must be sought before undertaking any copying.
• No copying or photography is allowed unless the appropriate form has been completed, and any applicable charges paid.
• Readers are reminded that the onus for satisfying the legal requirements of copyright legislation rests with them. It is the reader's responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder before publishing extracts from any documents.
• Some information including some photographic images may fall within the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations and readers are advised to view our Statement of Public Task where this may be the case.
• Photocopying costs:
  • Black and White photocopies cost 5p per A4 sheet single side and 10p for double-sided; 10p per A3 sheet single-sided, and 20p double-sided.
  • Colour photocopies A4 cost 25p single-sided and 50p double-sided, A3 colour cost 50p single-sided and £1 double-sided.
  • London Met students may use their printed credit for photocopying.
  • External users must set up an account and add credit online (to a minimum amount of £2). Please ask a member of staff for more information about guest copying.

Self-Service Photography

Cameras without flash and mobile ‘phones with photographic capability may not be used in the Reading Room without staff permission.
A Self service photography form before scanning, photocopying or digital photography of any Special Collections material.
Scans/copies/photographs may be taken for fair dealing purposes (i.e. research or private study) provided that the condition of the material will not be adversely affected and provided that the relevant form has been completed.

Publication of any such copies or photographs is not allowed. It may however be possible to publish material subject to copyright and to prepayment of an agreed fee.

Copyright and Publications

• Readers are reminded that the onus for satisfying the legal requirements of the Copyright Act rests with them. It is the reader's responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder before publishing extracts from any documents. Fees are payable for the reproduction of any copyrighted material for commercial purposes (for more information of what constitutes 'commercial purposes', please ask a member of Special Collections staff).
• Readers are requested to deposit a copy of any resulting (published) article, pamphlet or book with the University's Special Collections.

Privacy Notice

We keep a record for statistical purposes, of the names of our researchers and the institutions they are affiliated to, together with the list of documents they have consulted. We do not share this information with anyone else. If you do not wish to have your name added to our database, please let us know.

Researchers will be able to book a one-hour timeslot to view Special Collections' material remotely.

Consultation via email prior to booking your appointment is requested.

Online appointments can be facilitated using an on-site visualiser and delivered via MS Teams.

Our Scan-on-demand service is available free of charge to staff and students of the University.

For external users doing private research or study there are charges to pay (see the section below within 'How does Scan-on-demand work?' entitled 'External Users/remote enquiries (including copying)')

Staff and Students of the University: this is a free service available to current students and staff at the university. Although not all of our collections will be available for this service, Special Collections staff are happy to discuss your requests. Whilst staff are not able to undertake lengthy research on your behalf, they can advise and provide guidance on the range and availability of material and would be happy to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Please note:

• Scans will only be provided for non-commercial research and private study.
• This service is subject to copyright law and there are, therefore, limits to the proportion of a copyrighted material that can be supplied (i.e. no more than one chapter of a published book or one article per issue of a journal).
• The physical condition and/or size of an item may prohibit any scanning.
• In order to mitigate the risk of infection for our staff, special preventative measures – such as the quarantining of material – have been implemented and this could result in the processing of some requests being delayed. The availability of the service will also be dependent on staff being able to access the collections on campus.

How does the Scan-on-demand service work?

1. Email Special Collections with your request.
2. Once the scope and feasibility of the request have been established, a more detailed assessment of the material will be carried out on site. Note: A limit to the number of scans that can be accommodated per request may be imposed, at the discretion of Special Collections staff.
3. This Scan Request Form then needs to completed and submitted. Please note that, by completing and returning this form, you will be agreeing to the terms of the law of copyright (as stated at the top of the form itself).

External Users/remote enquiries (including copying)

The service is for users who are not staff or students of the university whose work on the collections is academic, scholarly or for personal interest and who require copies for non-commercial research and private study. Although not all of our collections will be available for this service, Special Collections staff are happy to discuss your requests. Whilst staff are not able to undertake lengthy research on your behalf, they can advise and provide guidance on the range and availability of material and would be happy to discuss your requirements in more detail.

How does this service work?

1. Contact Special Collections with your request.
2. Once the scope and feasibility of the request have been established, a more detailed assessment of the material will be carried out on site.
3. You will then be informed of the total cost (where applicable), based on the following tariff (inclusive of VAT):
   • The minimum charge is £5.00
   • First 10 scans (or part thereof) - £5.00
   • Subsequent scans in batches of 5 (or part thereof) - £1.50 per batch
   • So, for example, 23 scans would cost a total of £9.50.
   • *Note: A limit to the number of scans that can be accommodated per request may be imposed, at the discretion of Special Collections staff.
4. Payment should be made via the University’s E-Shop.
5. This Scan Request Form then needs to completed and submitted.

Please note that, by completing and returning this form, you will be agreeing to the terms of the law of copyright (as stated at the top of the form itself).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How much does the scan service cost?

The minimum charge is £5.00. The first 10 scans (or part thereof) is £5.00.
Subsequent scans in batches of 5 (or part thereof) is £1.50 per batch. So, for example, 23 scans would cost a total of £9.50

When will I get my scans?

This will depend on staff access to the buildings. We shall endeavour to deliver scanned material within a week. However, we will contact you if, for any reason, processing the request takes longer.

From where, and in what format, will my scans be sent?
These will be sent to you from the generic Special Collections email address specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk in a low resolution, compressed PDF format.

I have not received the scan. Where is it?
We can tell you when we sent you the scan. Please check your Spam folder. For material held under Copyright law, we are only allowed to send you the scan once.

Can I share my scanned document with other people?

Your scanned document is for individual research use only, and may not be shared, distributed, or posted elsewhere online. The ordering process includes the copyright restrictions, which need agreement before the request can proceed.

Can I license or reproduce a scanned image for commercial purposes?

Please see section on Image Licensing and Commercial Reproduction.

Requests to re-use information

If you wish to apply for access to our information under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations please fill in the form (appendix 2) and return it to specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk

London Metropolitan University Department of Library Services and Special Collections undertakes digitisation and facilitates re-use wherever copyright law, data protection, licensing and the availability of funding will permit this. The Department does not have a dedicated budget for digitisation, so is reliant on charging fees for the digitisation, supply and licensing of content in order to meet its costs.

The Public Sector Information Regulations only govern the re-use of information. To obtain copies of personal data, or other information held by the London Metropolitan University, please make a Subject Access Request or a Freedom of Information Request.

Pricing structure for re-use of information (see appendix 1)

Pricing for re-use of digitised materials varies according to the intended use (private research/ study or commercial), their type and location of the reproduction or publication. Standard prices are available online, and others can be provided on request. Any digitised images that are available for free will be clearly flagged as having a Creative Commons Licence. Where information has already been provided for re-use in a particular manner, then the cost for re-use in the same manner will be the same.

Right to refuse

London Metropolitan University reserves the right to refuse requests for re-use of information under the Directive where valid exceptions apply. Should this occur, the reason for refusal will be clearly explained, along with details on how to appeal the decision.

Review of Statement of Public Task

We will review this statement biennially and will therefore next be reviewed in 2023. If you have any queries on this public task statement, or a complaint about London Metropolitan University Library under the Re-use Regulations, you can submit them to the University Librarian via specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk

Re-use of Public Sector Information comments

If you encounter any problems or wish to make suggestions, please email library@londonmet.ac.uk. Please ensure that you state “Complaint about re-use of PSI” in the subject line of your email.

Form to request copies and schedule of charges (Appendices 1 and 2 of the Statement of Public Task)
 

The materials held in this repository are unique and irreplaceable. Careful handling can help to preserve them for future generations. Therefore, we ask you to observe the following guidelines:

Please do:

• Ensure that you have clean hands when handling the material.

• Use pencils only.

• Use the book support cushions provided for fragile or large volumes, and snake weights to hold open pages.

• Turn pages in volumes slowly and with care, ideally from the top right corner rather than the bottom right. This reduces the chance of tearing more fragile pages.

• Consult loose papers one file at a time. Place the file flat on the table and turn pages over with care, retaining the original order. Keep tags and fastenings in place.

• Consult oversize items on the large desk at the back of the Reading Room.

• Carefully unroll maps and use the soft weights provided to hold the edges down.

• Use gloves to handle photographs, negatives or slides where these have not already been placed into transparent sleeves.

Please do not:

• Disturb the original order of the documents or rearrange them.

• Lean on material, or use improvised devices to prop up volumes or weight pages open.

• Place materials over the edge of the table, or on the floor, chairs or windowsill.

• Lick your fingers to separate pages.

• Mark, annotate or alter the material in any way.

• Remove material from transparent sleeves without staff permission.

• Lie books face down. Staff will provide acid-free page markers to help you keep your place.

Commercial reproduction of material including images

If you wish to license material (including images) or wish to reproduce it in a commercial publication please email: specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk

Please give as much detail as possible (and also in your accompanying email let us know if you are working to a tight deadline). We will then be able to confirm the charges for licensing the material and let you know whether we will be able to supply it quickly, or whether there may be a delay if a high-resolution image is needed and does not already exist.

Once you know the cost of licensing your required content, payments can be made at the payment portal.

If you have any queries about the process please email: specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk

Copyright

Copyright and copying of publications

• Readers and enquirers are reminded that the onus for satisfying the legal requirements of copyright legislation rests with them. It is the reader's responsibility to obtain permission from the copyright holder before publishing extracts from any documents.
• Fees are payable for the reproduction of any copyrighted material for commercial purposes (for more information on what constitutes 'commercial purposes', please ask a member of Special Collections staff).
• Where the copyright of the material rests with the University the fees are payable to the University.
• Readers are requested to deposit a copy of any resulting (published) article, pamphlet or book with the University's Special Collections.
• Cost of photocopying: User guidelines on photocopying are posted above the photocopier. Black and White photocopies cost 5p per A4 sheet single side and 10p for double-sided; 10p per A3 sheet single-sided, and 20p double-sided. Colour photocopies A4 cost 25p single-sided and 50p double-sided, A3 colour cost 50p single-sided and £1 double-sided.
• London Met students may use their printed credit for photocopying.
• External users must set up an account and add credit online (to a minimum amount of £2). Please ask a member of staff for more information about guest copying.

Copying for Commercial Purposes (note this is not the same as licensing copies for commercial publication/re-use)

• To enable such users to make copies of an article in a journal or chapter of a book for commercial purposes, the CLA has a Library Licence Scheme but digital copies eg scans or photographs are not permitted.
• For each commercial copy Readers are asked to complete a CLA Library Licence form and pay a fee of £27.00 (inc. VAT) online via E-shop, which will then be forwarded to the CLA.
• This form contains details about what is being copied and assists the CLA with the distribution of the money received to authors, visual artists or publishers. Please retain the CLA Library Licence form (which is also your VAT receipt).
• If you are unsure whether your copying is commercial or not please refer to staff at library@londonmet.ac.uk
• Some material may be excluded from the licence by the rightsholder.