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Rare and Manuscript Collections

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Reproductions & Permissions

Contents

Reproduction Services

For a condensed overview and quick-start guide to ordering scans, please see our online guide.

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections provides digital photoduplication services of most materials in our collections. All duplication requests are subject to the following conditions:

  • Curatorial approval
  • Physical condition of the item
  • Donor-imposed restrictions
  • Limited staff time and resources

Users of the collections are also expected to abide by all copyright laws. Reproductions are provided for research use only and may not be transferred, published, or exhibited without obtaining the legally required permission from the copyright owner. In many instances, the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections is owner of the physical object only. For additional information, refer to the Guidelines for Using Text, Images, Audio, and Video from Cornell University Library Collections.

All high-resolution digital reproduction work is completed by the Cornell University Library’s Digital Consulting and Production Services.



Reproduction Ordering

Placing an order

All duplication requests must be placed through our online registration and request system. Any questions can be emailed to rarerepro@cornell.edu.

Turnaround time

  • All orders are processed in the order they are received.
  • Approximate turnaround periods vary based on material format and demand, but plan on six to eight weeks.
  • We are unable to provide technical or graphic editing assistance once you have the files.

Pricing and payment

  • Please see our Reproduction Services Price List for complete pricing information.
  • All orders must be paid for in advance.
  • Staff cannot fulfill requests until the charges are paid.
  • All payments must be made in U.S. currency.
  • Payments by cash, money order, or a check drawn on a U.S. bank can be mailed to us.
  • Payments may be made by credit card using our online payment system.

Reproduction Order Instructions

1. CREATE AN ACCOUNT, if you haven’t already.

2. PLACE INITIAL ORDER:

  1. From the Library catalog, enter the title of the book or collection and open that title’s record.
  2. On the right side of the screen, choose the red “Request Item for Scanning” button.
  3. This will take you to a request screen. If working with a boxed collection, select the box/folder numbers from which you want scans.
  4. From the drop-down menu choose the format and service level (such as regular or rush).
  5. Submit your request. Note that you will need to click through the last button that appears (either “Cornell Affiliates” or “Public Users”) to submit the request.

3. SUBMIT THE ORDER: click “Submit Request” at the bottom of the screen.

If your order has gone through successfully, it will appear in your list of requests, and the status will be “Awaiting Repro Processing.”

Staff will review and invoice your order, then send you an email asking you to approve it. If you select “Normal” service, your request will be processed in the order it was received. Due to the volume of orders we receive, this may take several weeks. Thank you for your patience.

To view invoice, log in to Aeon, select “Order Billing” from the menu on the left and click the box next to the Transaction Number.

4. PAY IN ADVANCE:

You will receive a link to our credit card payment system with the amount to pay. Please follow the link and pay immediately, as staff will not move forward with your request until payment has been received.

Staff will complete your order. This may take a few days/weeks. If you requested a digital file download as your delivery method, you will receive an email alerting you that it is available.

5. DOWNLOAD ORDER:

  1. Log in to Aeon, then select “Delivered Items” from the menu on the left.
  2. Click on the word “View” next to the Transaction Number to open the file.
  3. Save the file to your computer.

If you have any problems or questions, please email rarerepro@cornell.edu.

Permission to Publish

Patrons seeking permission to publish materials held by the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections should email their requests to the Permissions Coordinator. Permission will be considered where Cornell University is the materials’ copyright owner. Permission requests must include:

  • Title of publication
  • Expected date of publication
  • Type of publication (scholarly, general, etc.)
  • Expected print run or distribution
  • Country of publication

Published images of materials in our collections should be cited as follows:

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Copyright Statement

The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

The materials in this directory were provided by Cornell University Library under conditions specified in the law allowing libraries and archives (17 U.S. Code § 108. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives – https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/108) to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction of a copyrighted work. None of these photocopies or reproductions may be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Reproduction Services Price List

Items in our collections are often rare, fragile and/or irreplaceable. Photoduplication of these items requires careful handling to prevent damage from physical misuse, exposure to light, etc. Reproductions are performed by professional photographers and library staff, trained in the use of scanners and cameras that are designed to minimize potential damage. Reproduction requests are priced accordingly.

Orders that are large, complex, or have vague location information require time-intensive research and data collection by library staff. 

Patrons who visit our reading room to view materials are welcome to bring cameras to photograph items themselves, provided the flash is disabled.

We do not provide paper photocopies.  All scans are delivered as digital files as outlined below.

Format:

Existing Digital File

PDF

TIFF 600 dpi

TIFF 600 dpi (items over 12×17″)

MP3 of audio

MP4 of video

MP4 of film

PDF of microfilm

PDF of thesis

Service Fee:

Normal (usually 6-8 weeks)

Rush (less than 3 weeks)

Delivery:

Digital file download

Fee:

$10 per image

$1 per image

$35 per image

$45 per image

$75 per item

$75 per item

$200 per reel

$50 per reel

$50 per thesis

 

$15 per order

$40 per order

 

$no charge