Frequently Asked Questions

Copyright
All patrons should be aware of the revised Copyright Act of 1976 (which took effect on January 1,1978). It provides protection for all unpublished material from the time of creation for the life of the author plus seventy years or to 2002 (whichever is greater). All patrons accept full legal responsibility for observing the copyright law, as well as legislation concerning libel, invasion of privacy, property rights and fair use.

Photocopying
While NEHGS seeks to preserve its book and manuscript collections, it also desires to make them as accessible to our members as possible. NEHGS reserves the right to decline a photocopy request that, in our opinion, jeopardizes the physical condition of the material, violates copyright law or involves a collection with restricted access. No more than twenty-five pages from a single manuscript item will be copied for any researcher for any reason without specific permission from the archivist. Hand-held copiers are never permitted. The reproduction of an entire collection is prohibited; however, NEHGS will cooperate with researchers and other institutions in joint microform/digitization projects whenever possible.

Patrons may use digital cameras to photograph manuscript items.

Permission to reproduce does not constitute permission to publish (see "Publishing from NEHGS manuscript materials" below).

Image Reproduction Fees

All patrons are simply billed our cost including shipping. 

Image Use Fees

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Half-page: $50/$50 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use
Full-page: $100/$100 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use
Cover (book/magazine): $50/$100 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use
Interior (book/magazine): $25/$50 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use
Video/film: $50/$100 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use
Website: $50/$100 (Non-profit/Commercial) per image per use

Calendars, postcards, notecards, posters, CD-ROM/DVD, etc., will be determined based on quantity, distribution and price.

No image may be reproduced in any form without written permission of NEHGS. Each use must be requested in writing and include a complete and detailed citation for each item requested and a complete description of where and how the image will be used. All uses are non-exclusive and are for one-time use only. Each additional use in any format requires an additional fee.

Credit Line
All reproductions must carry the following credit line:
Photo courtesy of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston, Mass.)

Payment
Payment must be made in US dollars, payable to "NEHGS" and sent to NEHGS, Archivist, 101 Newbury St., Boston MA 02116-3007.

Prices are subject to change without notice.

Research Requests
The Special Collections Department staff will answer all requests for information about our holdings. NEHGS patrons can contact the NEHGS Research Service for research assistance.

Publishing from NEHGS Manuscript Materials
A request to publish any material found in the manuscripts collection must be made in writing to the archivist. The material should be cited as follows:

Collection name (Call number). R Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.