Coventry University Archives: Use our archives
Use our archives
We are committed to making valuable archival materials available while making sure they are preserved for future generations. Please read the best practices and general standards to handle archival materials with care and consideration, in order to help preserve these collections. You can also find information about reusing images or other materials, including copyright information on this page.
Handling and Using Archive Items
The archive material held by the University is unique and irreplaceable so we need to do our best to protect them for future generations.
Handling instructions for physical materials will be on display during visits, and archives users will be made aware of their responsibilities when studying material from the collections in the designated Reading Area. A member of staff will be available to supervise.
If you are using the archive please:
- Ensure your hands are clean and lotion-free before handling material.
- Use book supports and weights provided (if required) e.g. for bound volumes; avoid laying volumes face down or resting/leaning things on top.
- Keep loose items in the correct order, and in the right box or file and do not remove any items from the reading room.
- Where present, re-tie tapes around books and folders after use.
- Use pencil or a laptop, tablet, mobile phone for taking notes and do not mark or erase any item.
- When handling photographic material, use the nitrile gloves provided.
- Report any damage you discover.
- Seek permission to take photographs (the use of flash photography is not permitted) and complete a copyright form.
- Comply with Copyright and Data Protection legislation, and other access restrictions.
- Leave food, drink, pens or ink outside the reading area.
- Place open items face-down, lean, or rest anything on them.
- Rearrange any archives, remove items from transparent sleeves, take tracings or rubbings, mark any records in any way or lay books, papers or other objects (except book-weights) on the archives.
We may not be able to make very fragile items available to researchers. Visitors are asked to comply with any requests made by members of staff and anyone found deliberately damaging or defacing holdings will have access to material withdrawn.
Reuse and Copyright
If you are intending to publish or reproduce documents held by Coventry University Archives & Special Collections, you must first seek permission from a member of staff.
Reproductions of archival material for private research and non-commercial purposes are usually made available via a Creative Commons licence. Images for digitised material can be found on our online catalogue.
An access fee may be charged if Coventry University provides a reproduction of non-digitised material for publication.
Acknowledgement for reproductions in any public work should be made to ‘Coventry University Archives & Special Collections’.
If a researcher wishes to reproduce an item held within the archive collections (in part or in full) and Coventry University is not the copyright holder you must seek permission. if in doubt ask us. Responsibility for obtaining permission from the copyright holder rests with the researcher.
Some items may be photocopied, scanned or photographed (non-flash only), in accordance with copyright and other legislation, and any access restrictions. If copying is done using a self-service copier in the library, it must be carried out under supervision. Fragile or damaged items cannot be copied (only photographed).
Access restrictions may be in place for a variety of reasons including protection of personal information, copyright, closure periods (as required by legislation), and fragility of documents.