History San Jose’s Research Library supports access, discovery, and study of our collections. All materials are non-circulating and must be used in our secure reading room by appointment only. We provide limited photocopy services for some of our collection holdings, but reserve the right to restrict photocopy and digital photography access to rare, unique, fragile, and unprocessed materials.

Researcher Use Policy

Standard rules for scholarly research and handling of fragile materials in a special collections library setting apply.

  • To make an appointment, email research@historysanjose.org. The Research Library is open Monday-Friday between 10-4:30; however, we do not have dedicated reading room staff, and appointments are dependent on the Curator’s availability. After a date and time have been arranged, you will be sent parking instructions.
  • You are expected to arrive within 30 minutes of your scheduled time, and are expected to notify the Curator directly if you are going to be late, as we do not have dedicated reading room staff. If you are delayed, your appointment may need to be rescheduled depending on Curator commitments. If you are more than an hour late for your appointment and have not contacted the Curator, your appointment will be canceled.
  • On first visit, and yearly thereafter, patrons will be required to show a photo ID and fill out a one-time registration form.
  • On every visit, patrons must sign in and may be required to produce a photo ID.
  • Personal items (backpacks, bags, binders, etc.) must be stowed on a cart in the Reading Room, kept in view of the Curator.
  • Patrons may be asked to show the contents of their bag or backpack before leaving.
  • Food, beverages, and bottled water are not permitted in the research area. There is a small kitchen for those who need to bring food and drink.
  • Laptops are welcome for note-taking, as are pencils, notebooks, or sheets of paper. Pens are not permitted. Wi-fi is available in the Research Library, as well as charging points.
  • Photocopying and digital photography is permitted on a case-by-case basis and subject to approval by the Curator, due to fragility and copyright issues. 
  • Self-service photocopying or scanning is not permitted. Photocopy requests must be made through the Curator, and are only available to in-house researchers. Payment in advance is required.
  • Materials are available for use in the Research Library only. 
  • Cell phones must be turned off or on silent.
  • Restrooms are available inside the building, outside of the reading room.
  • Researchers must not wear personal fragrances.
  • Any researcher violating these rules will be asked to leave.

Photocopy Policy

Because of the rare, unique, and fragile nature of archival and rare book collections, photocopy requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and are only provided for in-house researchers. History San Jose Research Library staff will make limited copies when it does not violate restrictions. Restrictions may apply to collections due to confidentiality of certain records, donor agreements, copyright restrictions, or fragility of materials. Reproductions are made available for research, teaching, and study. Rare books, fine press and artist books, and tightly bound books and folios may not be photocopied. Purchase of photocopies or digital images does not constitute permission to publish. We reserve the right to restrict photocopy and digital photography access to fragile and unprocessed items.

Photocopy Fees

  • In-house request: 50¢ per page

Digital Camera Use

Handling and Care: The preservation care of the material outweighs any technical limitations of the camera. Patrons may not press down on the bindings of books to get a better image, and book cradles and weights must be used to hold the pages flat. Archival and manuscript materials must remain flat. Flash photography is prohibited.

The use of digital cameras is managed by Research Library staff. Curator permission is required. Digital surrogates taken by patrons are for private and educational use and not for publication. The same copyright restrictions apply to print and digital requests. For example, no more than 10% of a book, collection folder, or box may be reproduced.

Digital camera use must be approved and not all material may be photographed based on the material’s condition, copyright laws, donor-imposed restrictions, and preservation concerns.

Publishing Images

History San Jose charges fees for visual materials used in publication, production, and exhibit. Permission to publish is required and is contingent upon payment of applicable fees. The image may not be repurposed for publication or other promotional events without express permission from History San Jose. 

Fee Schedule:

  • Personal use, not for publication: $10 per image
  • Not-for-profit publication, film, TV broadcast or video: $25.00 per image
  • For-profit exhibit, publication, film, TV broadcast or video: $50.00 per image
  • Commercial advertisement: $75.00 per image
  • No charge for non-profit organizations using the images for exhibit, or for students using images for academic purposes
  • Other fees may be negotiated

Permission to publish is granted only insofar as the rights of History San Jose. History San Jose can only claim physical ownership of the material and has not determined the identity of possible claimants of copyright for many of the materials in the collections. Responsibility for identifying and satisfying any such claimants where copyright is uncertain must be assumed by users wishing to publish this material.

If you wish to use high resolution images for a publication or exhibit, you must complete the HSJ Publication Request form and pay the appropriate fee. 

Requests may take up to two weeks to fulfill.

Reproduction of Images

Researchers may use visual images from the collections:

  • Digital Image Reproduction: History San Jose scans images at a minimum of 300 dpi, and up to 1200 dpi depending on original print size, in color, using jpg or tiff formats, which are normally sent via WeTransfer. See publication costs above.
  • We charge a minimum of $25.00 for re-scanning if a higher resolution is required. We do not provide grayscale images. 
  • Low resolution, water-marked images can be downloaded free through our PastPerfect Online Catalog.
  • Scanning of archival material can be requested by email and will generally be made available via PDF format. Costs may apply depending on the quantity requested.
  • Permission to publish fees applies to all formats.

ALL FEES MUST BE PAID IN ADVANCE OF SERVICE

  • Please email research@historysanjose.org for assistance.

Photographic Prints

History San José does not sell photographic prints directly. We have partnered with Zenfolio to provide high quality prints, canvases, and gift items at http://historysanjose.zenfolio.com/. You may request images from our collection be added to Zenfolio for purchase.