Materials Access Rules & Policies

Rules for Use of the Collections

• Visitors are required to place personal belongings (except for eyeglasses, notebooks, and pencils) in a locker. Coats should be hung in area provided. Pens are prohibited. Staff may inspect briefcases, handbags, parcels, notebooks, books, and other personal property before they are removed from the room (California Penal Code Section 490.5).
• Items in this collection are often fragile and must be handled with extreme care. They should be placed flat on a table while in use, not held in the hands. Materials may not be clipped, refolded, traced, or marked in any way. Handle all items, including photographs, by the edges. Artificial light and flash may not be used to photograph the room or materials in the room.
• Five monographs or one pamphlet folder or ten photographs may be used at one time.
• Secured materials must be returned to the service desk 15 minutes before the Library closes.
• Smoking, food, and drink are prohibited in all parts of the Library, including the Sacramento Room.
• Materials are to be reshelved by staff.

Services Available

• Assistance in locating materials and obtaining materials from the vault.
• Photocopying by staff.
• Magnifying glasses, pencils, and paper.

Photocopying

• Photocopying depends upon the size and condition of materials. Some materials are too fragile to place in a copier.
• Materials may be photocopied only by Library staff.

Photo-reproductions

• Photo-reproduction of loose photographs and documents or book plates is permitted under the following conditions:
1. Approval is obtained in advance.
2. The photograph is copied by a Library-approved lab.
3. The customer assumes the additional cost if the photograph does not have a negative, and the Library retains the negative created.
4. Materials will be transported by approved photographer/photo-lab personnel only.
5. Material will be loaned for reproduction purposes no longer than 3 days.
6. Sacramento Room materials which are reproduced for publication or other commercial use must include a credit statement: From the Special Collections of the Sacramento Public Library.
7. Sacramento news media are permitted to copy photographs for use in newscasts or newspaper articles (not commercial productions). No artifical lighting may be used.
8. Requests for copies of graphic items intended for mass reproduction uses, such as posters, T-shirts, notepaper, etc., may be subject to special contractual procedures with Sacramento Public Library.