Guidelines and Procedures
Please review as you will be expected to follow before registering.
In-person access to Cushing Memorial Library and Archives is
available by appointment only due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you believe your request may be answered remotely, please
complete our form to
Request Remote Assistance.
To make a reservation to use material as a Researcher or to
reserve time to study in the Kelsey Reading Room, please make
a Kelsey Reading Room Reservation. If you would like to explore
our exhibitions, please see our
FAQ about making an Exhibition Viewing Appointment.
What to Bring
You must wear a face covering in any library spaces.
All exemptions must be approved prior to entering the library.
For more information, see this Face Cover FAQ.
To reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the following items,
which are typically prohibited, will be allowed:
-
All personal belongings must be brought up to the Kelsey Reading Room and placed in the plastic bin as instructed.
Any materials that do not fit in the bins (like large umbrellas) will be placed on the floor next to the bin.
-
Water in a secure container, which must be kept in the plastic bin.
You are encouraged to bring the following into the Kelsey Reading Room:
-
no. 2 pencils
-
laptop or tablet computers or mobile phones
-
small camera (for personal use only)
-
reference books (these will be identified during your sign-in process)
The following items are prohibited:
-
food and drink may not be consumed in the Kelsey Reading Room
-
pens, highlighters, markers, or any other writing utensils other than pencil
-
tripods, additional lenses or other photographic equipment, including flatbed or hand scanners
-
cutting tools
If you are not sure whether an item should come up to the second
floor, please contact Cushing Public Services staff
and ask.
How to Use Materials
To help preserve our collections, we ask that you arrive with
clean hands, handle all special collections material with care,
and follow all instructions given by Public Services staff.
Public Services staff will provide instruction on the proper
handling of special collections materials, including use of
supports and number of items able to be used at once.
Duplication
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives provides digital duplication
services. All duplication requests will be assessed by Public
Services staff, and possibly curatorial staff. Fulfillment of
requests may be limited by physical condition of the material,
copyright restrictions, or donor agreements. For more information
about our scanning services, please ask
Cushing Public Services staff.
Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code)
governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of
copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in
the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a
photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions
is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for
any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research."
If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or
reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user
may be liable for copyright infringement. Cushing Memorial
Library and Archives reserves the right to refuse to accept a
duplication request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order
would involve violation of copyright law.
Researchers must make a written request to Cushing Memorial
Library and Archives for permission to publish any materials
from its special collections. The Cushing Memorial Library and
Archives assumes no responsibility for copyright violations or
for any other legal issues resulting from the use or publication
of special collections or archival materials. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to secure any necessary
permission from the appropriate copyright holder to quote,
publish, or reproduce items from Cushing Memorial Library
and Archives collections, and to acknowledge in print that
the materials are used or published with permission of
Cushing Memorial Library and Archives.
Notification to Publish
Acknowledgment must be given to Cushing Memorial Library and
Archives for the use of its material. All Cushing Memorial
Library and Archives material(s) used must be credited
or cited as follows:
"[Item], [Collection], Cushing Memorial Library & Archives, Texas A&M University."
Publication of any Cushing Memorial Library and Archives
material(s) can take place only under the provisions of the
fair-use doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Law or by obtaining
permission from the copyright holder, which in many cases
may not be the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives and /or
Texas A&M University. The patron will defend and hold harmless
the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives and the Texas A&M
University System, its Board of Regents, its officers, employees
and agents against all claims, demands, costs and expenses
including, but not limited to, attorney's fees incurred by
copyright infringement, or any other legal and regulatory
course of action arising from use of any material obtained
from Cushing Memorial Library and Archives.
Posting reproductions of materials online in any fashion is a form
of publication. For example, posting an image of a manuscript or photograph from
our collections to a website, blog, or social media platform constitutes publication.
Patrons who intend to publish material obtained from Cushing
Memorial Library and Archives must sign the Notification to
Publish Form prior to publication.
Cushing Public Services staff
will provide this form upon request.