Services Catalog
Research
Materials housed in the Archives & Special Collections are provided for research purposes according to our Terms of Access and Use. We are happy to work with researchers to locate useful collections, but - due to staffing constraints - we are unable to provide comprehensive research services. Those who wish to conduct research in our department should plan to visit the archives or hire a research assistant. Please email archives@davidson.edu to request an appointment.
Genealogy
Researchers may use our resources for their personal genealogy research provided they follow our Terms of Access and Use and our Reading Room Policy—please review Archives Policies and Procedures. We are unable to provide additional genealogy research support. Researchers with Davidson College credentials have access to Ancestry Library Edition. Due to licensing agreements, access to this database is limited only to Davidson-affiliated researchers; other researchers may wish to see if their local public library offers access to this database or similar ones.
Digital Scans
Some of our resources have been digitized and are available on Digital Davidson and Digital NC. Our digitization program prioritizes materials that are frequently consulted by researchers and/or align with curricular priorities. If you would like to make a suggestion for a collection to be added to Digital Davidson, please email archives@davidson.edu so that we can add it to our list for consideration.
Researchers may request digital scans of our materials for their research use only if they are unable to visit the Archives & Special Collections in person. We will digitize up to five photographs or one folder (up to 50 pages) of print materials without charge. Each additional scan is $0.15. There is a three-week turnaround for digitization requests; we require additional time during college holidays and the summer. At this time, we are unable to digitize bound volumes, audiovisual items, and oversized materials. Please email archives@davidson.edu to request that items be digitized.
Digital scans are provided for personal use only and may not be published in print or online without the permission of the copyright holder. We reserve the right to decline digitization requests if we believe the items are too fragile to withstand the digitization process.
Photocopies
Researchers may request photocopies of our materials for their research use only if they are unable to visit the Archives & Special Collections in person and are unable to access digital versions of the materials. We will photocopy up to five photographs or one folder (up to 50 pages) of print materials without charge. Each additional photocopy is $0.15. There is a three-week turnaround for photocopying requests; we require additional time during college holidays and the summer. At this time, we are unable to photocopy bound volumes and oversized materials. Please email archives@davidson.edu to request that items be photocopied.
Photocopies are provided for personal use only and may not be published in print or online without the permission of the copyright holder. We reserve the right to decline photocopy requests if we believe the items are too fragile to withstand the photocopying process.
Exhibits and Websites
Davidson College students, faculty, and staff interested in using materials from the Archives & Special Collections for exhibits and websites are encouraged to speak with us with as much notice as possible so that we can help locate appropriate collections and identify copyright or permission issues. We are unable to host digital exhibits on Archives & Special Collections websites, but the Digital Learning team can assist with hosting them on Davidson Domains.
In rare cases, we lend items for limited-term display in exhibits outside the library, although we reserve the right to decline requests if we have concerns about the preservation of materials. Please contact archives@davidson.edu to discuss the possibility of borrowing items for exhibits.
Please notify us if you are using materials for your exhibits and websites and credit us with the following credit line: “Archives & Special Collections, Davidson College Library, Davidson, North Carolina.”
Student, Faculty, Staff, and Community Projects
Students, faculty, staff, and community members wishing to partner with us on projects related to college and local history, collection development and access, or other uses of our collections should speak with us as soon as possible so that we can review requests and incorporate projects into departmental goals.
It is especially important that those hoping to collect materials, including oral histories, for the Archives & Special Collections speak with us before contacting potential donors, so that we can determine if the project fits within our collection development policy and ensure that correct permissions are secured. Items without the appropriate donation form will not be added to the Archives & Special Collections.
Please email archives@davidson.edu to request an appointment to discuss the project.
Instruction
We partner with faculty to provide students with an introduction to archival research and structured, hands-on experiences using departmental materials. Due to resource constraints, we can provide limited instruction each semester; to best support students and equitably allocate resources, we ask that our faculty partners email archives@davidson.edu.
Appraisals
For both ethical and legal reasons, we are unable to provide appraisals. Qualified appraisers can be found on the websites of the American Society of Appraisers, the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, the Appraisers Association of America, and the International Society of Appraisers.
Fee Schedule
Digital Scans: One folder (up to 50 pages) of print materials or five photographs are digitized without charge. Each additional scan is $0.15. Cash or check payment are accepted and must be received before delivery of scans. If these fees are a barrier to research, please let us know.
Photocopies: One folder (up to 50 pages) of print materials or five photographs are photocopied without charge. Each additional photocopy is $0.15. Cash or check payment are accepted and must be received before delivery of photocopies. We do not charge for domestic shipping. If these fees are a barrier to research, please let us know
Use: We do not charge fees for the use of our materials, but researchers are required to secure permission of the copyright holder for any use beyond personal research. The copyright holder may charge for this permission.
Publication: We do not charge publication fees, but we ask that researchers complete the Permission to Publish form and credit “Archives & Special Collections, Davidson College Library, Davidson, North Carolina.” If possible, we ask that researchers donate to us a copy of any publication in which departmental material is reproduced, referred to, or quoted.