Archives and Special Collections
Reading Room Rules and Procedures
General Information
Access to the Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) Reading Room is by appointment only during designated opening hours, Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm. Researchers must complete the online A&SC Appointment Request Form prior to their visit and read the Reading Room Rules & Procedures, Copyright Statement and Data Protection Agreement. Additional documentation, including the Personal Photography Agreement or Copy Request & Publication Request Form, may also be required where applicable.
Some collections may be subject to restrictions arising from donor agreements, copyright, data protection legislation, preservation concerns, or sensitivity review. In certain cases, permission from the depositor, rights holder, or University Librarian may be required before access can be granted. Researchers are therefore encouraged to make enquiries well in advance of their visit to avoid delays.
Researchers are encouraged to contact A&SC in advance of their appointment should they wish to discuss their research needs or any accessibility or other requirements.
When booking their appointment, researchers must agree to comply with these Reading Room Rules & Procedures and, where applicable, any associated Archives & Special Collections agreements or request forms.
Visiting the Reading Room
Outdoor coats, umbrellas, bags, laptop cases, folders, and other personal belongings must be stored in the lockers or designated storage areas provided. Only materials required for research may be brought into the Reading Room.
Mobile phones and other electronic devices must be kept on silent mode. Researchers are asked to respect the quiet study environment of the Reading Room at all times.
Food and drink, including bottled beverages, chewing gum, and sweets, are not permitted in the Reading Room.
Smoking and vaping are prohibited throughout the Library and Reading Room areas.
Handling and Use of Collections
Researchers must handle all archival and rare material with care and respect. Many items are unique, fragile, and irreplaceable.
Researchers must ensure that their hands are clean before handling collection material. In certain cases, gloves or other handling supports may be provided and their use directed by A&SC staff.
Researchers must maintain the existing order of archival material and immediately notify staff if any damage, missing items or preservation concerns are identified.
The following actions are strictly prohibited:
- Marking, annotating, tracing, folding, or otherwise damaging material.
- Leaning on archival material or placing notebooks, laptops, tablets, phones, or loose paper on top of collection items.
- Reordering loose papers or removing archival fasteners, tags, or bindings.
- Using saliva or moisture to turn pages.
- Using adhesive notes, clips, or other attachments on collection material.
Book supports, weights, cradles, or other preservation equipment supplied by A&SC staff must be used where instructed.
Pencils may be used for note-taking in the Reading Room. Pens, markers, correction fluid, scissors, knives, or any other object liable to damage collections are prohibited.
Laptop computers, tablets, and silent electronic devices may be used for research purposes. Power outlets and wireless internet access are available where provided.
Researchers are responsible for returning all material issued to them and must not pass collection material directly to another reader.
Access to Original and Digital Material
In line with the A&SC Access to Collections Statement, researchers may be provided with digital surrogates or other access copies in place of original material where available.
- Where suitable digital surrogates exist, researchers will normally be provided with these in preference to the original material in order to minimise handling of original collections.
- Requests for original material should be made as far in advance as possible, with a minimum of 48 hours notice. A&SC require advance notice prior to retrieving archival material from storage.
- The number of items issued at any one time will be determined by A&SC staff in accordance with preservation and security requirements.
- Material may occasionally be unavailable due to conservation treatment, digitisation, exhibition loan, cataloguing work, or sensitivity review.
Researchers wishing to consult born-digital or restricted digital material may be required to use a dedicated access terminal provided within the Reading Room.
Copying, Photography and Reproduction
Personal photography for personal, non-commercial research or private study may be permitted following completion of the Personal Photography Agreement and subject to staff approval.
Researchers wishing to obtain copies created by Archives & Special Collections staff, or wishing to reproduce, publish, exhibit, broadcast or otherwise make collection material publicly available, must complete the Copy Request & Publication Request Form.
Permission to take personal photographs does not include permission to reproduce, publish or otherwise make those images publicly available.
Flash photography, hand-held scanners, tripods and any equipment that may endanger collections or disturb other researchers are prohibited unless specifically authorised.
All requests for personal photography, copying and reproduction remain subject to preservation requirements, copyright, donor agreements, data protection obligations and operational considerations.
Researchers must comply with any conditions governing access to restricted material, including requirements relating to data protection and confidentiality.
Researcher Conduct and Compliance
Researchers must comply with all instructions issued by A&SC staff concerning the handling, use, or security of collections.
Failure to comply with these Rules and Procedures, Library regulations, copyright legislation, or data protection obligations may result in access privileges being withdrawn temporarily or permanently.
DCU Library reserves the right to refuse access to collections where there are reasonable concerns relating to preservation, security, legal compliance, or researcher conduct.
Any deliberate damage to, theft of, or interference with collections may result in disciplinary action, withdrawal of access privileges, referral to University authorities, and/or criminal prosecution.
Access to collections is granted on the understanding that researchers will use archival material responsibly, in accordance with all applicable legislation and professional standards.
Referencing Collections
Researchers should acknowledge material consulted in Archives & Special Collections in theses, publications and other research outputs using the appropriate collection reference code or shelfmark.
Recommended citation formats are provided in the Personal Photography Agreement and the Copy Request & Publication Request Form.
Acceptance of Rules
Access to the Reading Room and A&SC collections is conditional upon compliance with these Reading Room Rules & Procedures.
Confirmation that you have read, understood and agree to comply with these Rules & Procedures is provided through the Archives & Special Collections Appointment Request Form or, where applicable, before access to collection material is granted.