INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
COLLECTIONS & LIBRARY
REFERENCE SERVICES, COPIES AND FEES

(Effective October 1, 2005; revised for "moving images" January 2007;
revised for "IHS-supported Education Activity" and "IHS-recognized Local Historical
Organization" March 2009)

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) provides reference assistance to researchers who visit the William Henry Smith Memorial Library and to customers who contact IHS by telephone, letter, and fax or by e-mail.  Inquiries must include requestor's name and mailing address.  To facilitate a timely and accurate response, customers are encouraged to read information, directions, and referral contacts on the main Collections & Library web page.

Responses to reference requests may require up to two to three weeks to accomplish.  Requests are answered in order of receipt, but if a more prompt reply is needed, please call Library Reference at (317) 234-0321.

Paper copies and/or photographic or digital image reproductions can be made of most of the material in IHS collections.

Fees apply for making and/or using all copies or reproductions, and an hourly rate applies for any non-instructional research or other assistance by IHS requiring more than 15 minutes.  An hourly rate is billable in full hourly increments (with the first hour payable in advance and the remainder as specified in a Research Request Form.  This rate also includes up to 10 paper copies at no additional charge for each hour.  If requested, the IHS can also provide names of professional researchers if a project is beyond the scope of usual IHS services.  However, all arrangements between requester and private researcher are the requestor’s responsibilities.

Fee Schedule

Charges for Copies and Reproductions of IHS Items

Prices for copies, reproductions and related “use fees” reflect IHS policy to recover costs of making copies and reproductions, as well as modest consideration for conservation and preservation of and access to the collections.  “Use fees” are additionally and cumulatively assessed according to the manner(s) in which the images are used.  IHS retains all rights to any “made-to-order” negatives, slides or digital images made to complete photographic image reproduction orders.  Use fees for “special uses” not described above will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the IHS Senior Director, Collections, in writing, such as (but not limited to):

1.     Prints larger than 11x14 inches may be made on a case-by-case basis and may include any outside commercial fees necessary for IHS to fulfill such requests in addition to internal IHS costs.

2.     Material reproduced as end papers, murals, unbound material (e.g., note cards and post cards), or other uses deemed as "special uses" may be subject to higher use fees.

3.     Reproductions used in advertisements for publications containing specific images are subject to both publication and advertising use fees.

4.     Other copies, reproductions or services may only be authorized by the Senior Director, Collections on a case-by-case basis and may include any outside commercial fees necessary for IHS to fulfill such requests, in addition to internal IHS costs.

5. "IHS-supported Education Activity" is a specific activity in Indiana identified, supported, and/or coordinated by the IHS Education Department (e.g. Indiana participants of National History Day, Indiana Junior Historical Society, and other identified school program offerings). Such requests may only be made by a teacher, in writing or e-mail, to the IHS Director of Education (who transmits approved requests to the IHS Senior Director, Collections for fulfillment action and collection of fees). The $5.00 charge per image includes a use fee of $1.00 and $4.00 to produce an image from images already in the IHS digital collections. New scans of original material are charged all full image copy and use fees in the above table for Indiana teachers and students.

6. IHS-recognized "Local Historical Organization" is a specific local nonprofit historical or heritage organization chartered and operating in Indiana (e.g. county historical society, town museum, or identifiable unit of a local library). Such requests may only be made by an officer of the organization, in writing or email, to the IHS Senior Director, Collections. This specifically reduced $5.00 charge per image includes a use fee of $1.00 (in lieu of the "Additional Image use Fees" in the above table) and $4.00 copy fee to produce an image from images already in the IHS digital collections. New scans of original material may be charged all full copy and use fees in the above table for Indiana non-profit organizations.

Shipping and Handling

1.  A $3.00 postage charge applies to researchers who visit the IHS Library and request that paper copies of materials be mailed to them

2.     Service charges of $3.00 for one to five paper copies and $10.00 for six or more paper copies apply to remote requests (includes postage).

3.     Service charges for shipping and handling for microfilms are $5.00 per reel to send via UPS within the United States.

4.     Service charges for shipping and handling for a visual reproduction or digital image copy are $5.00 per order to send via UPS within the United States.

5.     Researchers are responsible for the cost of any insurance and/or sending completed orders by express or local messenger service.

6.     Both high and low resolution copies of digital images in a file format determined by IHS (in consultation with the customer) can be e-mailed in an attachment format to the requestor or copied onto a removable media format determined by IHS and sent to the requestor.

7.     Removable media copies are only made on CD disks.  For security reasons, IHS cannot make copies on media provided by patrons.

Photocopying Policy

IHS provides copies of items in its collections as a service to researchers, and fees reflect the cost for providing this service.  IHS reserves the right to refuse a request for copies if its Collections & Library staff believes that copying would risk damage to the item(s) being copied.

When requesting copies of IHS collections material, researchers are expected to read the photocopying policies procedures prior to making a request.  All requests must include a photocopy request form described below.  All photocopying for researchers is accomplished by IHS Collections & Library staff.  Requests for copies will be completed as timely as possible within IHS resource limitations on equipment and staff time.  Copies will be mailed if it is not possible to provide them to a visiting researcher at the time of the request.  FAX requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on quantity and resources available at IHS.  

Separate photocopy request forms are used for material from Manuscript Collections and Printed Collections. All requested contact information, the purpose of the copies and requestor’s signature are initially necessary for IHS to complete a request.  IHS will inform requestor of the cost of the order after receiving completed forms, which should be mailed to:

Indiana Historical Society
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

For Manuscripts material, copying is ordinarily limited to 50 exposures per collection, but exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.  For preservation reasons, almost all bound volumes and some fragile items may not be copied on office copiers.  The IHS is also able to provide positive reel microfilm images of some of its manuscript collections (see microfilming request form for manuscript collections) and requests for digital images may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Copies of manuscript material are made for private study, scholarship, or research use only; they may not be published or reproduced in any fashion without written permission of the IHS.

For Printed items, the IHS will make only one photocopy of the material.  If condition is not an issue, items will be photocopied according to "fair use" provisions of U.S. Copyright Law.  Copies of printed materials are made for private study, scholarship, or research use only; except for the "fair use," they may not be published or reproduced in any fashion without prior written permission for the copyright holder.

For Visual collections, only photographic or digital image reproductions can be made of material in IHS collections, subject to the following terms: 

1. The Coordinator of Visual Reference Services in the IHS Collections & Library Reference Department handles all approved requests for photographic reproductions of all library material.

2. The above-described hourly fee will apply to any inquiry that would require more than 15 minutes of non-instructional reference consultation, research or other assistance.

3. IHS processes photographic reproduction orders in the order received and strives to complete copy work or duplications within five working days.  IHS does not guarantee a delivery time or offer “rush” service.

4. For images with architectural content, IHS requests as much specific information as possible:  street address, legal description, and name of building, business, architect and original owner or business.

5. Videotaping or other moving imagery of IHS images is exclusively handled by the IHS Coordinator of Visual Reference Services.  Research must be completed, images approved, and appointments scheduled prior to any recording session.  The IHS hourly rate applies (billable in full hourly increments) while IHS coordinates any session.

Conditions Governing Use of IHS Photographic Image Reproductions

NOTICE AND WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. 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 specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research."  If a customer 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 action and will hold IHS harmless. 

The IHS reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order that, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order may involve violation of the copyright law.  THE INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESOLVING CUSTOMER COPYRIGHT QUESTIONS.

1.       Permission to use photographic image reproductions from the IHS is granted for “one-time only” use in the manner specified in the "Statement of Intended Use" section of the IHS Visual Resource Contract Form. Any subsequent or additional use (including reprints, second editions, special editions, editions in different languages, videotape or other editions of television broadcasts, etc.) must be applied for in writing and are subject to additional use fees.

2.       Proper and full credit must be given.  The basic credit line is: Indiana Historical Society.  When provided by IHS, negative numbers, photographers' and collection names must also be in the credit.

3.       One complimentary copy of each completed publication in which any image reproductions appear shall be furnished to IHS Collections & Library within one month of initial publication (regardless of format).

4.       Changes made to the appearance of the original item, such as cropping, superimposition, tinting, retouching, digital enhancement, etc. must be indicated in the accompanying caption or label.

5.       In authorizing the publication of a reproduction, the IHS in no way surrenders either its own right to publish anything from its collections or its right to grant permission for others to publish.