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Research at the Center

Requesting Permission to Reproduce or Publish Material from the Special Collections Research Center

Researchers must submit written requests for permission to reproduce or publish material from rare books, manuscripts or archival material owned by the University of Chicago Library. The Library does not require researchers to request permission to use or publish copies of material from its collections that are in the public domain (i.e., material with expired copyrights or otherwise ineligible for copyright protection). However, as a matter of good scholarly practice, we request that researchers still acknowledge the Library’s Special Collections Research Center as the owner and source of such materials. Quotations from text that fall within the fair use guidelines of the United States Copyright law do not require written permission from the Library.

Permission for reproduction of archives, manuscripts, and special collections material is provided in accordance with the Polices Governing the Use of Archives, Manuscripts, and Special Collections.The Library grants permission in its capacity as owner of the physical property. In all instances, it is the researcher's responsibility to obtain permission from the holders of any rights in material being quoted, reproduced or published. Some publication projects may be subject to a use or special handling fee.

Printed Material Permission Request Form

Archives and Manuscripts Permission Request Form

The request should include the following information about material to be reproduced or published:

  • if the material is from a printed book, the author's name, title, date and place of publication, and full call number including collection name; page number(s) or other identifier of the material requested
    Example: frontispiece to "The Works of Horatio Walpole, Earl of Orford," ed. Mary Berry (London, 1798, PR3757.W2A115 Rare), vol. 2, engraving of the Castle of Otranto
  • if the image is from the Archival Photofiles, the full four-part image identification
    Example: Series II, American Meat Institute, Laboratory, No. 1
  • if the image is from a digital collection on a Web site, the unique image ID from that collection
    Example: American Environmental Photographs, AEP-NYP7
  • if the material is from a document in a manuscript or archival collection, a description of the item, its box and folder location, and the name of the collection Example: Harriet Monroe to John Gould Fletcher, 22 November 1916, Box 33, Folder 25, Poetry: A Magazine of Verse Records.

The request should include the following information about the publication in which the material will appear or other use to which it will be put:

  • the author's name and title of the book or article in which the material will be published
  • the name of the journal, book publisher or the production company if it is a film or CD
  • the projected date of publication, performance, public presentation or broadcast
  • if the image(s) will be used in promotional material such as posters or other advertising
  • if a broadcast, the network or cable channel on which the program will appear
  • if a Web site, the URL and name of producer
  • if a book, where the image(s) will appear: dust jacket, frontispiece or text
  • if a book or CD, the projected size of the press run, in numbers of copies
  • if a book or CD, the projected retail price

Please allow 6 weeks for requests to be processed. Permission letters will include the form of citation to be used and information about any use or special handling fees. Requests for permission to publish should be submitted to:

Director
Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

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