SC/A Reading Room Regulations

General Guidelines in the SC/A Reading Room:

• Materials in Special Collections & Archives are non-circulating, and may only be consulted when the department is open. Materials requested 15 minutes before closing will be available the following day.
• Researchers who are unaffiliated with CSUN or another CSU campus must complete a Researcher Registration Form and present a current form of government-issued photo identification.
• Researchers must store personal belongings such as backpacks, purses, briefcases, computer cases, and loose articles of clothing in a reading room locker.
• We prefer that your personal research material be stored in your locker. If necessary, staff can review and stamp personal research material before it is brought into the reading room.
• Notes should be taken with the pencils and paper provided by reading room staff. Ink pens and mechanical pencils are strictly prohibited.
• Digital cameras can be used with the flash turned off.
• Please respect others in the reading room. If you need to talk, please keep your voice low.
• Please silence your cell phone. If you need to take a call, please step outside.
• Food and beverages can be kept in a reading room locker.
• Special Collections & Archives reserves the right to inspect all research materials and personal articles before researchers make duplications or exit the reading room. Please note that the reading room is monitored by surveillance cameras and recorded on video at all times.

Using Materials in the SC/A Reading Room:

• If necessary, reading room staff will provide specific handling instructions. Cotton gloves will be provided as needed.
• Keep materials flat on the table at all times. Please do not lean on, write on, mark, fold, erase, or trace over collection materials.
• One box or book is allowed on the table at a time. The exact order of documents, folders, and unbound materials must be maintained. Only one file folder may be removed from a box at a time. When removing a file folder, please insert the “Out” card provided to mark your place. Use the flags provided as place markers for duplications.
• If you discover mistakes in filing or damage to materials, please alert Reading Room staff. Do not rearrange materials yourself.
• Please let Reading Room staff know when you have finished working. If you plan to return, we can hold materials under your name for one week.

Using Materials in the Virtual Reading Room:

• United States copyright law (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Copies of items in the Virtual Reading Room are not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If you use a reproduction for purposes in excess of Fair Use, you may be liable for copyright infringement.