Access to and Use of Collections and Collections Records

Access to and Use of Collections and Collections Records. A. Policy: The Mansion will strive to make its collections and collections records available for study and examination by individuals for scholarly research and other legitimate purposes. The Mansion will allow access to and use of its collections and collections records in a controlled, professional manner that protects the physical and intellectual integrity of the collections and collections records. Access to the collections and collections records will not be unreasonably denied. However, acknowledging its responsibility to safeguard the collections and collections records, the Mansion reserves the right to control access to prevent the following: 1. Deterioration, mutilation, loss, or dislocation of objects and/or collections records. 2. Undue interference with the administrative, professional, and technical operations of the Mansion. 3. Undue impact on the furnishing of services to the First family or other Mansion users. Authority for permitting and monitoring access to and use of the collections and collections records is shared by the Mansion curator and the Museum Division director. Should particular questions arise regarding proper, legitimate access to and use of the collections and collections records, legal counsel will be consulted. B. Procedures: A written request should be submitted to the Mansion curator specifying the objects and records to be examined (and if the researcher wishes to photograph the objects and in what format), the purpose and proposed date of the examination, and the researcher’s current address and daytime phone number. If the request meets with the established access policy of the Mansion, the Mansion curator will schedule an appointment with the researcher and will provide supervised access to the specified objects and records. Access to the collections and the collections records may be limited both by the availability of staff time to provide adequate supervision and by the potential damage to particularly fragile objects from movement and handling during examination. C. Reproduction of Objects in Collections: The Mansion reserves all rights for the reproduction of objects in the Mansion collections. No commercial reproduction (replica manufacture of any sort) is permitted without a written agreement approved by the Mansion curator, Museum Division director, and the Board of Trustees. In general, non-educational or commercial reproductions of objects will not be approved. The Mansion reserves the right to license vendors, collect royalties, initiate fees, or otherwise control the use of its collections as may be deemed appropriate and lawful. D. Photography of Collections: 1. Limitations on Public Photography: Limitations on public photography in the historic section are determined by the First Family and Mansion security staff. 2. Request for Photographs of Collections: Requests for obtaining photographs of objects in the Mansion’s collection will be submitted in writing to the Mansion curator. Due to limited staff resources and time, the Mansion may be unable to fulfill a specific photographic request if there is not already an existing image. a. If the request is to publish a photograph of an object, then a Permission to Publish form stipulating that the photograph will be appropriately credited and that the Mansion will be provided with a complimentary copy of the publication must be completed and submitted for approval by the Mansion curator or the Museum Division director. b. Acquisition of copyrighted photographic prints of Mansion objects does not convey to the purchaser any rights of copyright. Certain works of art as well as photographs of those works of art may be protected by copyright, trademark, or related interests not owned by the Mansion. The responsibility for ascertaining whether any such rights exist and for obtaining all other necessary permissions remains with the purchaser. c. Researchers wishing to photograph objects in the collections with their own photographic equipment may do so only with prior approval of the Mansion curator or Museum Division director. d. Researchers wishing to hire an outside vendor to photograph objects in the collections may do so only with prior approval of the Mansion curator or Museum Division director. The Mansion reserves the right to select the vendor to provide such special photographic services. The researcher must make direct arrangements with the vendor for payment of vendor services. e. The Mansion reserves the right to deny a request for photographs of the Mansion’s collections if fulfilling the request would lead to one or more of the following conditions: i. endanger the physical security of the collections, ii. undermine the intellectual integrity of the collections, iii. pose an excessive administrative burden violate the terms of a loan, iv. infringe on copyrighted material, v. involve a use for illegal or unethical purposes, vi. violate privacy, publicity, or other personal rights of any party, vii. libel, slander, or cause undue ridicule or embarrassment to any person or organization viii. imply an institutional endorsement of any product, company, or enterprise