Pepperdine University Archives

Special Collections and University Archives are open to all users who fill out a registration form and present a form of photo identification, subject to the following guidelines:

Registration

• All readers must fill out a registration form annually in order to view materials from the Special Collections and University Archives.
• Readers must present a valid form of photo identification.
• Readers must sign the registration form to indicate their agreement with these rules.

General Reading Room Rules

• Materials must be viewed in the reading room under staff supervision, and no material may be removed from the room.
• Food, drink, and gum are not allowed in the reading room.
• Only pencils and laptop computers may be used for taking notes in the reading room. Ink of any kind is prohibited.
• Special collections staff reserves the right to inspect library materials and personal items prior to entry and upon departure from the reading room.

Handling of Materials

• Materials must be handled with care to ensure their safety and preservation. Please follow any special instructions given by special collections staff.
• No marks may be added or erased on any materials.
• Books, papers, and other objects should not be set on the materials. Special weights will be provided to hold books open.
• Please do not use post-it notes, paper clips, pencils, or other objects to mark a place in a book or folder. Special acid-free paper strips will be provided.
• Readers are allowed one archival box or folder OR up to three books at their table at any time.
• Folders should be removed from the box one at a time, and the exact order of materials within folders and boxes must be maintained. When removing folders from boxes please use an “out” card to make sure the folders stay in order. Please report any disarrangement to special collections staff.
• Foam book rests will be provided for particularly fragile materials.

General

• All requests for reproduction of materials, whether by personal photography or scanning, are contingent upon approval by the librarian after assessing the condition of materials.
• Unless otherwise approved by the librarian, any images of collection materials are for personal research use only. Provision of images does not constitute permission to publish, or copyright permissions. If you would like to publish an image of an item from the collection, please see “Publication of Images” below.

Personal Photography

• If approved by a librarian, users may take non-flash photos of collection materials with their personal cameras for research use.

Digital Scanning

• Digital reproduction of special collections materials is available upon request.

• Materials selected for reproduction must be assessed for preservation concerns and approved by a Special Collections librarian.

• All reproduction will be completed by library staff or by external vendors selected by the library.

• Unless otherwise requested, digitized materials will be provided in the following formats:

  • Images: 600 dpi tiff files

  • Text: PDF

  • Audiovisual recordings: to be discussed

• Reproductions will be delivered through an online attachments account. If a data CD is required by the requestor, additional fees will apply (see below).

• Reproductions will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. While deadlines will be accommodated as much as possible, please allow up to one month for delivery for in-house projects. Time estimates will be provided for projects completed by external vendors.

• Reproduction requests that can be completed within the library are generally provided free of charge to Pepperdine users (faculty, staff, students, alumni, members of the Board of Regents, and university departments). The department reserves the right to charge fees for large projects when necessary. Please see below for charges for CDs, shipping, and vendor digitization.

• Reproduction requests by non-Pepperdine users that can be completed within the library are subject to the following fees, payable by cash or check made out to “Pepperdine University Libraries”:

  • Images and text: $10 set-up fee, including one image and $2 each additional image

  • Digital file conversion: $10 set-up fee, including one file and $2 each additional file

  • Sound recording and moving image: cost estimate will be provided

  • Data CD: $5 (when requested for delivery of files)

  • Shipping: $5 domestic, $20 international (when requested for delivery of files)

Reproduction requests that must be completed by an external vendor will be provided at-cost, including the cost of digitization as well as the cost of shipping the materials to the vendor and back to Pepperdine. A cost estimate will be provided. If a CD for the digital files and/or shipping are required, the above fees apply.

Publication of Images

• Please request permission to publish images of special collections materials by filling out the permission to publish application form.
• Publication for which permission is required may include, but is not limited to, use of images in films, books, journals, posters, décor or display, and on the Internet.
• Permission will not be required for use of images in theses or dissertations unless the thesis or dissertation is scheduled for publication and distribution.
• Publication fees for non-scholarly, commercial use will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the department with inquiries.
• Scholarly, non-commercial usage is free, but permission must still be requested.
• Please be advised that materials may be subject to copyright. Pepperdine University does not make any representations or warranties regarding the copyright status of any items in its library system. The applicant is responsible for determining the copyright status of any such materials, and in all cases of copyrighted materials, for securing any necessary permission from the copyright owner. The university reserves the right to require proof of such permission, or proof that such permission is not legally required, before copying or releasing a copy of any item.