To initiate a photoduplication request, you must be registered to use Special Collections at Yale.  If you have not yet registered in the system, you’ll need to create a new account. More information is available in the Guide to Using Special Collections at Yale: Register If you have any difficulty, please do not hesitate to contact us mssa.assist@yale.edu.

How to request an image:

Find the item you want in one of the Yale Library catalogs (Orbis, Quicksearch, or Archives at Yale). For further details about finding special collections materials see Find and Request. The steps for requesting images varies slightly between systems.

1. Requesting from Archives at Yale
   1. Find and select the file you are interested in and click "Request"
   2. Currently, the only Type of request option is Reading Room, so simply click "Submit Request"
   3. Log into your account.
   4. Click "Main Menu" in the upper left corner.
   5. Under Requests in Progress, find the item and click the "Details" button.
   6. Click "Inquire About Digitization"
   7. Scroll through the New Photoduplication Request form, fill in "Format" (PDF, TIFF, JP2, etc.) from the drop down, add any important information about your order in the "Notes" field, and click "Submit."
2. Requesting from Orbis or Quicksearch
   1. In the item record, click on the link that says “Request” or “Request for use in Manuscripts and Archives”.
   2. Log into your account.
   3. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the radio button that says "Save Request for Later" 
   4. Under Requests in Progress, find the item and click the "Details" button.
   5. Click "Inquire About Digitization"
   6. Scroll through the New Photoduplication Request form, fill in "Format" (PDF, TIFF, JP2, etc.) from the drop down, add any important information about your order in the "Notes" field, and click "Submit Request"

Alternatively, you can submit a digitization request directly through your account. Log into your Yale Special Collections account and click "Digital Copies" in the top menu bar.

1. If you discovered the item in Archives at Yale
   1. Select the repository where the item is located from the drop down.
   2. Slowly type the Call Number into the form, and the drop down will show a list of options.
   3. Select the appropriate Call Number from the drop down.
   4. Select the Series or Addition number from the drop down.
   5. Select Box from drop down.
   6. Enter folder number(s).
   7. Title and Author should automatically populate.
   8. Scroll through the New Photoduplication Request form, fill in “Format” (PDF, TIFF, JP2, etc.) from the drop down, add any important information about your order in the “Notes” field, and click “Submit Request”
2. If you discovered the item in Orbis or Quicksearch
   1. Select the repository where the item is located from the drop down.
   2. Copy all relevant data from the item record in Orbis or Quicksearch, including, Call Number, Title, Author, Volume, to the corresponding fields in the request form. (Ignore any drop down data that pops up.)
   3. Scroll through the New Photoduplication Request form, fill in "Format" (PDF, TIFF, JP2, etc.) from the drop down, add any important information about your order in the "Notes" field, and click "Submit Request"

Please note that all requests are subject to review by Yale Library Access Services staff. The library reserves the right to revise an order due to preservation concerns or time constraints. If an order must be changed to a different format, the patron will be notified of the change.

DOCUMENTS

Turnaround time and delivery

• Approximately 10-14 weeks from the time your order is confirmed, depending on complexity of order and format of reproduction
  • We will do our best to keep to that turnaround time, but circumstances may make the process take longer
• Files will be delivered electronically, and may arrive in multiple transfers over time

Order Limits

• Bound Volumes: Book, non-illuminated: Up to 600 pages from 2 volumes
• Oversize Items (e.g. maps, posters, blueprints - larger than 24 x 18 inches): 15-20 items
• Unbound Documents: Up to 4 folders
• Photographs & Prints: Up to 600 prints
• Pamphlets: Up to 600 pages from 1-4 pamphlets

Copyright

• The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these conditions is that the copy is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user will be liable for any copyright infringement. For further information about copyright, permissions and fair use, see Copyright Guidance: Basics.

Formats

• Scans of paper materials are provided as 400 ppi color PDFs. All pages are combined into a single PDF file for each volume / folder of material requested. If you require higher quality images or different formats, please indicate the desired format and resolution on the photoduplication form.
• Copies of materials that are already in digital form (born digital), will be provided in their native format.

Costs

• Orders for document scans are free at this time as we are piloting a new service to support digitization of Special Collections at Yale University Library. Charges for this service may be implemented once this pilot is complete.  

AUDIOVISUAL

• Audiovisual materials are digitized in line with Yale University Library's digitization guidelines.
• A quote for this request will be emailed to you for approval before the materials are sent to a vendor for digitization
• Turnaround time is approximately 6-8 weeks
• If the materials requested are already available digitally, you will be contacted with an offer to stream the recordings for 30 days, free of charge.