Special Collections Reading Room Regulations and conditions of use

Use of Special Collections and Archives are governed by University Regulations and Library Regulations with the following additions:

Download the following regulations: Word PDF

1. Access to the Special Collections Reading Room is allowed to all bona fide researchers. The University reserves the right to refuse admission without redress.

2. All new readers must fully complete a registration form in advance of their first visit, either in person or by post. The registration form is available from the Headington Library Enquiry Desk or can be downloaded here as a Word document or PDF.

3. At the time of registration:

• Members of Oxford Brookes University must show their University ID/Library card.
• Members of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling must show or send proof of their IBD membership;
• Other users must show or send proof of their address (photocopy acceptable).

4. If the application is approved, a Special Collections Reading Room Pass will be filed for collection at the Enquiry Desk or posted to the applicant's home address, within two working days. Normally passes will be valid until 30 September 2009 or, in the case of Brookes' students, the end of your course (whichever is the sooner).

5. All readers must sign the visitor's register on arrival and departure on each visit and show photo identity and their Special Collections Reading Room Pass.

6. Admission to the Special Collections Reading Room is during Library opening times:

7. Normally a maximum of eight users will be admitted to the Reading Room at any one time.

8. No food or drink, including bottled water, is allowed in the Reading Room; no smoking is allowed. Mobile phones and pagers must be switched off. Dictaphones are not permitted. The use of personal cameras (including digital cameras), video recorders or handheld scanners is not allowed.

9. Coats, umbrellas and bags must be left in the place provided. The only personal possessions that you may take into the Reading Room are pencils, writing paper and laptop computer. If you wish to consult books or other materials which are not from the Special Collections in the Reading Room, you must first show them to the member of staff on duty.

10. Browsing the collections shelved in the Reading Room is permitted under supervision. Please handle items with care when removing them from the shelves. Please place a marker where items have been removed. Please do not reshelve items, but leave them on the trolley provided.

11. Books, journals, documents and other materials may not be removed from the Reading Room.

12. Writing in, marking, or harming in any way, any manuscript, book, journal or other item belonging to the collections is forbidden. Items should not be leaned upon, refolded, traced or marked in any way. Materials should be read with the book rests provided.

13. If an item is accidentally damaged whilst you are using it, or if you discover damage not caused by you, please inform the supervisor at once.

14. Readers wishing to use their own laptop will be accommodated where possible and use will be at their own risk.

15. All photocopying is undertaken by Library staff subject to copyright law and good preservation practice. Requests for photocopying should be made using the form(s) provided.

16. Requests for Archive Room material must be made on the Archive Room Request Form supplied.

17. No more than four separate items or one archive box from the Archive Room can be requested at any one time.

18. Items from the Archive Room should be returned to the supervisor when finished with and before 16:50.