Policies and Services in the Reading Room:

1. Policies and Services in the Reading Room: A look at the policies of South African Academic Archive Reading Rooms Janine Dunlop Manuscripts & Archives, University of Cape Town Libraries

3. Why this topic?

4. Methodology • 10 Reading Rooms (SA Academic Libraries) • 10 Questions • Email • SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com) • Telephonic follow-up

6. Questions 1. Do you have a written Reading Room policy document? 2. Do you have a written scale of charges for reprographic services such as photocopying and digitising? 3. Do you allow researchers to use their own digital cameras to copy archival material? 4. Do you allow researchers to use their own portable scanners to copy your archival material? 5. If you answered "Yes" to questions 3 and/or 4, how do you decide which material can and can’t be digitized by users? (ie- what factors do you take into account? For example,Whether the material is rare or not; Is it robust enough to withstand handling? If the researcher is well-known to you and experienced in handling archival material…)

7. Questions (cont.) 6. Have you digitized any of your archival holdings? 7. If you answered "yes" to question 6, do you allow access to the original or the digitized copy or both? 8. Do you provide gloves for handling of photographs or documents or both? 9. Do you impose a limit on the number of copies a researcher can make from a particular collection? 10. What security measures do you have in place at your archive? (eg – cctv, controlled access, requesting identification from researchers, locking away of researchers’ bags before allowing access to archival material…)

8. Responses • 3 out of 10 • Email follow-up • Telephonic follow-up • Email correspondence • 6 out of 10

9. Findings • Question 1: Do you have a written Reading Room policy document? Yes: 4 No: 0 Other: 2 Staff rules document Basic conditions of use

10. Findings • Question 2: Do you have a written scale of charges for reprographic services? Yes: 3 No: 1 Other: 2 Charges are the same as the rest of the Library’s. Charges don’t apply.

11. Findings • Question 3: Do you allow researchers to use their own digital cameras to copy archival material? Yes: 4 No: 1 Other: 1 No flash photography

12. Findings • Question 4: Do you allow researchers to use their own portable scanners to copy archival material? Yes: 3 No: 2 Other: 1 Depends on the fragility of the documents

13. Findings • Question 5: If you answered “Yes” to 3 and/or 4, how do you decide what can and can’t be digitised by users? • Fragility • Rarity • Supervision by staff members • Well-known researcher • Discretionary basis

14. Findings • Question 6: Have you digitised any of your holdings? Yes: 6 No: 0 Other: 0

15. Findings • Question 7: If you answered “Yes” to 6, do you allow access to the original or the digitised copy or both? Digitised only: 1 Both: 4 Other: 1 Some items are packed away permanently after being digitised. Others may still be viewed by researchers.

16. Findings • Question 8: Do you provide gloves for the handling of photographs or documents or both? Gloves with photos: 4 No gloves with photos: 2 Gloves with documents: 2 No gloves with documents: 4

17. Findings • Question 9: Do you impose a limit on the amount of copying a researcher can do? Yes: 3 No: 1 Question skipped: 1 Depends on the rules/restrictions of the collection

18. Findings • Question 10: What security measures do you have in place at your archive? CCTV: 2 Controlled Access: 4 Visitor registration: 3 Lockers: 3 Staff presence: 2

19. Discussion: Prohibitions • Generally applicable:

20. Discussion: Prohibitions

21. Discussion: Handling of documents

22. Discussion: Visitor registration

23. Discussion: Staff surveillance

24. Discussion: Number of files

25. Discussion: Photocopying

26. Discussion: Photocopy Charges • 35c – R4 • Different charges for staff/students and outside visitors/general public • Minimum charges on postal requests

27. Discussion: Scanning charges • Free/Donation – R20,00 • Different charges for staff/students and outside visitors/general public

28. How do we compare? • Harvard University Archives • http://hul.harvard.edu/huarc/policies_01.shtml • Special permission for digital camera use • Other copying devices banned • Limited amount of material at tables • No material retrieved after 4.15pm • No self-service photocopying • Prepayment for copying

29. How do we compare? • Duke University Archives • http://library.duke.edu/uarchives/about/using-records.html • Bans strong colognes and perfumes! • Allows own scanners and cameras, as long as use doesn’t disturb other researchers • Other equipment must be approved by staff

30. How do we compare? • Stanford University Archives • http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/index.html • Gloves must be used while handling photographs • Photography and personal scanners not allowed. • MSS must lie flat • Keep documents in original order. • One box and one folder at a time

31. Use of gloves • Randy Silverman and Cathy Baker: Misperceptions about the use of white gloves. International Preservation News, no. 37, December 2005. • Jackie Dent: The gloves are off in academia. The Guardian, Monday 4 September 2006

32. Use of personal scanners and digital cameras • Oxford University Library Services • Increasing number of requests for use of these devices • Pros for using them: • Kinder to books • Some don’t make contact with the page • Supports the research process

33. Further work to be done • Thorough investigation of photocopying and scanning charges and how they compare • Working together on and standardisation of policies, services and charges

34. Thank you! Janine Dunlop Manuscripts & Archives Department, University of Cape Town Libraries Ph: 021 650 3123 janine.dunlop@uct.ac.za http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/mss