Special collections/archives and manuscripts within the University of Botswana Library, are our country’s valuable and unique, but often fragile heritage. Many of the materials in our care are intrinsically weak, and there is a risk of damage whenever they are used or handled. In order to protect these materials, researchers are requested to read and acknowledge some commonsense rules while consulting our collections:
- Readers may bring into the reading room only those materials (iepencils and notepaper, or laptop) needed for research. Books, bags, coats and other personal items should not be brought into the reading room.
- Please maintain quiet in deference to your fellow researchers. Turn off your cell phone
- The reading room is a no-pen zone. Only pencils and laptop computers may be used for taking notes.
- Laptop computers may be used but the Library accepts no liability for damage or loss of data and reserves the right to inspect computers prior to granting permission for their use.
- Handheld photocopiers and scanners are not permitted. Digital cameras are permitted by prior arrangement and are subject to certain restrictions. No flash photography is allowed.
- All researchers must register with the Special Collections staff and provide picture identification (UB members may show their Library or University card). We record name, contact information and research interest. All registration information is confidential. Registration is an acknowledgement of the acceptance of these Readers’ Rules.
- Smoking, drinking and eating (including sucking of sweets or chewing gum) are not permitted. Bottles of water may not be taken into the reading room.
- Readers are responsible for the documents issued to them and must not remove them from the reading room. At the end of the day, as well as prior to an extended period of absence from the reading room, they are required to return the documents they have been using. Readers may only have one file or item at a time. Readers are not allowed into the storage rooms.
- Papers must be handled with great care, kept in their original order and each file returned in a tidy condition. Archives staff can advise on correct handling but in general this means that documents should be placed flat on the table and fully supported at all times, that a reader should not mark the material or erase existing marks, fold, tear or cut documents, make tracings or rubbings, rest elbows, notebooks or other objects on the surface of items, touch the surface of loose sheets or books pages if they can be handled by their edges, turn pages by wetting fingers, apply paper clips, fasteners, rubber bands, tape or ‘Post it’ notes to any material. Pages of bound material should be turned using the corner, not the inner bottom edge. Photographic material might necessitate the wearing of cotton gloves.
- To safeguard the integrity of documents the original order must be maintained. Loose pages must be stacked together neatly as they are finished with.
- We reserve the right to inspect any notes or other materials before the reader leaves the premises.
- Restricted materials: Access to collections and permission to copy from them depend upon the condition of the material. The use of certain documents may be restricted by statute or by donors’ stipulations. The researcher must assume full responsibility for fulfilling the terms connected with the use of restricted material. Materials that are of exceptional value or fragility may also be restricted and we reserve the right to withhold access for the protection of fragile items. However, in these cases, all efforts will be made to either: conserve the item in question to make it fit for production; create a surrogate copy; summarise or transcribe the information within the item.
- For permission to publish or quote from manuscripts and other unpublished materials, and how to make citations, consult Special Collections staff.
- Reprographics: For reasons of preservation, photocopying of archival material may not be possible. However, digital imaging and electronic copies of documents may also be available. Reprography may incur a nominal charge in order to cover costs. Digital, non-flash photography is permissible by prior arrangement. All photocopying is done by Special Collections staff. All reprography is subject to copyright compliance.
- Personal data: Readers agree that any information they obtain from the materials will not be used to support measures or decisions with respect to living individuals, and that it will not cause or be likely to cause substantial damage or distress to any individual who is the subject of the data who is still alive or likely to be alive.
