Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) supports teaching, learning, and research. Visitors are welcome to take unlimited low-resolution photos using personal cameras (no flash) in the reading room, as long as the materials are in good condition and not restricted by copyright or donor agreements. 

If you need high-resolution or publishable images, please review our policies below or contact us at specialcollections@tulane.edu. 

For help organizing your research, Tulane librarians have created a DIY guide for digitizing and managing your materials before, during, and after your visit. 

Copyright, Permissions & Commercial Use

Important Reminder 
U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) applies to all reproductions. Libraries like TUSC can provide copies of materials for private study, research, and scholarship. Any other use may require permission from the copyright holder. We reserve the right to deny requests if they might violate copyright law. 

TUSC Copyright Policy 
In most cases, TUSC does not own the copyright to the materials in its collections and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to publish or quote from them. 
Researchers are responsible for: 

• Determining if their use falls under “fair use”
• Identifying and contacting copyright holders
• Getting permission for any use beyond fair use
• Responding to claims of unauthorized use 

If copyright information is unclear, or if the copyright holder can’t be found, the item is considered an orphan work. You can find guidance on researching these through the Society of American Archivists. 

TUSC cannot provide legal advice. Please consult a copyright specialist for any questions.

Public Domain & Fair Use

Public Domain 
Materials in the public domain are free to use. TUSC does not require permission or charge any fees for quoting or publishing from materials in the public domain. 

Need help identifying public domain items? Check out Cornell University’s copyright and public domain chart. 

Fair Use 
If your use qualifies as fair use (e.g., academic writing, critique, commentary, news reporting), you do not need permission from TUSC. 
There’s no strict rule for how much of a work you can use—fair use is decided case-by-case. Use tools such as: 

• U.S. Copyright Office Fair Use Index
• Cornell’s Fair Use Checklist

Commercial Use

If you plan to use materials for commercial purposes or any use beyond fair use, you must: 

• Get written permission from the copyright holder
• Possibly pay licensing fees 

TUSC only holds copyright to a few collections. For these, we can grant commercial licenses: 

• HJA-033 Hogan Archive Oral History Collection
• HJA-098 Ralston Crawford Jazz Photography Collection
• HJA-093 The Legend of the Dew Drop Inn interviews by Julia Dorn
• HJA-092 Lynn Abbott Collection (interviews only) 

Note: These collections may include materials by other creators. You’ll need to contact those copyright holders directly. 

For licensing or permission requests, email specialcollections@tulane.edu. 

Requesting Scans or AV Digitization

Personal Photography 
You may use your phone or digital camera (no flash) to take pictures of materials for private research or study. To publish, post, exhibit, or sell these images, you must get permission from the copyright holder—unless the item is in the public domain or your use qualifies as fair use. 

Digitization Limits 
TUSC may not be able to digitize certain materials due to: 

• Copyright restrictions
• Donor agreements
• Preservation concerns
• Item size or fragility 

We may also limit how much material can be copied to ensure fair access to all researchers. 

Audiovisual (AV) Materials 
AV items must be reformatted before access. If they’ve been digitized already, they’ll be available through the Tulane University Digital Library. 
 TUSC does not copy commercially recorded sound items. 

If AV digitization is needed: 

• TUSC works with outside vendors
• You’ll need to cover all vendor costs (labor + shipping)
• Entire works must be digitized—TUSC won’t digitize only parts 

Delivery Format 
 Scans: .jpeg or .tiff 
 AV: .mp3 or .mp4 
 Files are delivered via email or Dropbox. 

How to Submit a Request

• For scans: Fill out the TUSC Scanning Request Form
• For AV digitization: Fill out the TUSC AV Digitization Form 

After you submit your request: 

• We’ll contact you for any needed details
• You’ll receive an invoice with payment instructions 

Payment: Visa and MasterCard accepted. No checks or cash. Pay here. 
Processing time: 4–6 weeks after payment. Requests are processed in order received.

Fees

Duplication and AV Digitalization Fees

See AV Digitization Request Form for details.

Licensing Fees

TUSC charges licensing fees for the commercial use of materials for which it holds clear copyright. 

Licensing fees apply to the following uses: 

• Commercial display in public spaces (offices, restaurants, hotels, stores, lobbies)
• Exhibitions (for-profit)
• Book publications (commercial publishers)
• Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and corporate publications
• Television broadcasts (commercial)
• Advertising and merchandising
• Websites and social media (commercial)
• CD-ROMs, videos, and software (commercial) 

Licensing fees are not charged for the following uses: 

• Personal use (reference or home display)
• Educational, governmental, and non-profit use
• Exhibitions by non-profit museums, libraries, and historical societies
• Academic and scholarly publications (e.g., theses, dissertations, scholarly journals, classroom use, University Press publications, or textbooks)
• Television broadcasts by public or non-profit networks
• Personal or non-profit websites and social media
• Non-profit CD-ROMs, videos, and software 

To request permission or to review our licensing fee structure for still images, sound, or video files, please contact: 
 specialcollections@tulane.edu 

Please note: 

• TUSC does not sign third-party copyright forms, including those provided by publishers.
• Fees are subject to change without notice. 

Citations Guidelines

Citation formats may vary based on discipline or publication guidelines. We recommend the following: 

Full citation example: 
[Item description], [Collection title], [Identifier number], Tulane University Special Collections, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. 
Example: 500 Club, Ralston Crawford Collection of Jazz Photography, HJA-098, Tulane University Special Collections, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 

Short citation example: 
[Collection title], Tulane University Special Collections 
Example: Alan Robinson Papers, Tulane University Special Collections