Hoover Institution Archives: Use of Collections

The Hoover Institution Archives is open to the public without charge. Use of archival material, however, is conditional upon adherence to the following rules:

1. All researchers must register to use the archives. Photo identification is required (driver's license, passport, or other photo ID).

2. All materials must be used in the reading room.

3. Hoover Institution notepaper, which is furnished without charge, is available for use in the reading room. Use of other notepaper must be approved by the archives staff.

4. No personal property of any kind except pencils, ballpoint pens, typewriters, laptop computers, and reference books may be taken into the reading room. Briefcases, typewriter cases, computer cases, overcoats, hats, bags (including women's purses), and research materials, such as folders, unauthorized notepaper, and photocopies of documents, should be left in lockers that are available for temporary storage. Before their departure each day, users are requested to remove possessions from lockers and return keys to their slots. Stanford University is not responsible for loss or theft of any personal possessions stored in lockers.

5. All items removed from the reading room, including notepaper, reference books, and photocopies of archival materials, must be presented to an archives staff member for inspection. In order to prevent the theft of materials, state law authorizes the detention for a reasonable period of any person using these facilities suspected of committing "Library Theft" (Penal Code Section 490.5).

6. To ensure the safety and preservation of materials, researchers are required to use pencils or ballpoint pens; make no marks and rest no books or other objects on the documents; preserve the existing order and arrangement of unbound material; bring only one manuscript box at a time to the table; and exercise the greatest care to prevent damage. Specific materials may be subject to additional rules of use.

7. Archival holdings are requested using the yellow cards next to the reference desk. Materials are brought from the stacks to the reading room at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. Some of the archives’ collections are stored off-site, and it may be possible to have a limited number of boxes brought to the archives reading room for consultation. A minimum of two days notice is required. For a list of these collections, see Off-site collections. Please contact Carol Leadenham for information about off-site collections.

8. Researchers may not smoke or bring food or drink into the reading room.

9. The use of scanners or cameras in the reading room requires the permission of the archivist.

10. Researchers must abide by the policies for reproduction of archival material listed below.

1. LIMITATION: The number of photocopies is limited to no more than 100 copies per collection per academic year. Archival material that would be damaged by photocopying may not be copied.

2. SELF-SERVICE: A public-access copy machine is available in the archives reading room. Users are responsible for any infringement of U.S. copyright laws resulting from use of the public-access copy machine. Photocopies in the Hoover Library and Archives cost 15 cents per page. Researchers are responsible for bringing change for the photocopy machines (coins, dollar bills, or five-dollar bills) or purchasing a copy card at Green or Meyer Library.To protect against physical damage to documents, please bring fragile documents to the attention of the archivist on duty and obtain advice on proper copying techniques.

3. COPIES PREPARED BY ARCHIVES STAFF: Copies cost 30 cents each plus postage and California sales tax when applicable. Please do not remove documents from folders for copying. An archivist will explain the procedure for flagging material to be copied. Please allow three weeks for photocopy orders to be completed.

4. COPYRIGHT: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction (including handwritten copies) for purposes in excess of fair use, that user may be liable for copyright infringement. Users are advised to obtain permission from owners of copyright before publishing any materials examined in the Hoover Institution Archives.

5. USE OF COPIES: Photocopies may not be further reproduced and distributed without the specific authorization of the Hoover Institution. Information regarding the reproduction of photographs, sound recordings, and motion picture film may be obtained from the archivists in the reading room. No microfilming user service program is currently in effect. No annotations or lists pertaining to the provenance of reproduced material will be prepared by archives staff.