Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. Consequently, limits have been established to balance researchers' needs and our obligation to preserve these special resource materials. Some items, such as brittle, tightly bound or heavy books, are impossible to photocopy. Readers wanting to copy a substantial portion of a manuscript collection, a group of College records, or a published work may be asked to pay instead for the production of a microfilm copy of the entire portion.
Special conditions apply when requesting duplication of unpublished materials.
Virtually all unpublished manuscripts, recordings, and photographs are protected under copyright law. Nor does Bowdoin College Library, in making research copies available, thereby grant permission to reproduce those copies or to quote extensively from them for publication. In making use of these copies, the applicant assumes full responsibility for any infringement of copyright or publication rights belonging to the author, the author's heirs or assigns. Special copyright provisions apply to sound recordings, pictorial, musical, graphic, motion picture, or other audio-visual works that severely restrict duplicating without the express permission of the holder of copyright. Publishing material from our holdings requires permission not only from the holders of copyright but also from Bowdoin College Library.