Items in the Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books are non-circulating and special reproduction measures are required to ensure their long-term preservation. To ensure proper reproduction, care, and handling of the materials, Special Collections has adopted the following policies and procedures.
Policies and Procedures
- Materials will only be reproduced by Special Collections: Archives and Rare Books staff when it is possible to do so without damaging the physical integrity of the item.
- The library reserves the right to use its discretion to limit the number of reproductions or to decline to make any reproductions.
- Reproductions are subject to applicable copyright, legal, conservation and/or depositor restrictions.
- Reproduction copies are made for private study and research purposes only and must not be used for any other purpose without the express authorization of the copyright owner.
- Researchers are responsible for observing copyright law and for properly acknowledging extracts from documents.
- Permission to copy material is not an authorization to reproduce or publish the material.
- Researchers may be permitted to use a digital camera to photograph Special Collections material in the Reading Room.
Reproducing Material
Requests for reproduction of material are processed through the Special Collections Access system. A Special Collections staff member will provide you with an online form to initiate a reproduction request. Copying must be done by Special Collections staff.
Limits on Reproducing Material
Special Collections staff will schedule the work in consultation with you, making every reasonable effort to meet your needs while not interfering with ongoing staff duties. Please be aware that reproduction requests are handled at specific times and require advance planning so that they do not interfere with ongoing reading room activities and research.
Flagging Material for Copying
Placing flags around the material to be copied is the best way to let Special Collections staff know exactly what you wish to have copied while also preserving the original order of the records. It is your responsibility to indicate clearly what is to be copied using the acid-free flags provided. For remote requests, staff can provide a page count and price quote when you cannot consult the material before requesting reproduction.
If placing requests in person, please place your reproduction orders with Special Collections staff at least 15 minutes before closing to allow time for arranging payment and discussing the order before the Reading Room closes.
Services and Fees
As a general policy, research copies are provided in digital format. If you would prefer paper copies of digital files, please indicate this on the reproduction order form.
Digital Copies
Standard digital scans of letter, legal, photograph, or ledger-size materials are unimproved basic scans under 300 dpi, delivered by email or file transfer service. The fee is $10.00 for 1–10 scans and $1.00 per page for orders of 11 or more scans.
Custom scans, including high-resolution scans at 600 dpi, high-resolution photographs, slide or negative scans for publication, and oversize materials larger than 11″ x 17″, are $25.00 per scan.
Copies of video and audio recordings are $40.00 per recording, or $20.00 if the original has already been digitized. This flat rate applies to recordings under two hours on most conventional analog formats. Longer recordings or unusual formats will be charged as custom orders.
Delivery
Digital files may be delivered by email or file transfer service at no additional charge. Email delivery is available for files under 20 MB. File transfer service is available for files up to 29 GB.
Paper copies are available for an additional $0.50 per page. CDs or DVDs are available for an additional $5.00 per disc. A minimum postage and handling fee of $10.00 applies to mailed orders.
Completed orders that are not mailed will be held in the Reading Room for four weeks after completion and will then be discarded.
Processing Time
Orders may require 2–3 weeks for processing. Larger or custom orders may take longer.
Payment
All orders must be prepaid. Once your order has been reviewed, Special Collections staff will email you an invoice with a secure link to submit payment by credit card.
Fees do not include applicable taxes and are subject to change without notice. Cheques should be made payable to the University of St. Michael’s College.
Contact Us
Telephone: +1 (416) 926-2314
Email: specialcollections.kellylibrary@utoronto.ca
Elizabeth Comper Special Collections Reading Room
John M. Kelly Library
Before visiting, you are warmly encouraged to review our Researcher Guidelines. Rare materials damage easily but if well-treated, they can last many generations and, in some cases, hundreds of years.