Access Policy
Introduction
CBRL’s mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of the peoples and cultures of the Levant in order that research in the humanities, social sciences and related fields makes the fullest possible contribution to fostering knowledge and understanding of the Levant, for the common good. In managing and preserving its archives effectively according to the relevant standards and good practice, CBRL is fulfilling its goal to advance knowledge and understanding of the people and cultures of the Levant.
CBRL acquires, manages and preserves archives to remind and inform current and future generations about the activities, decisions, operations and lives of individuals, families and organisations.
Access to the CBRL Archives is governed by the CBRL Archives Access Policy which works together with the CBRL Preservation Policy to ensure that archive material is protected and handled carefully according to best practice for collection care and archive preservation. The CBRL Archives Access Policy sets out the requirements for access provision for the CBRL archives.
Policy statement
All of CBRL’s archival collections, regardless of provenance and format/media will be open to access unless they are subject to data protection, copyright or other legal restrictions or they are too fragile to allow for production and handling. Access will be granted to all individuals, whether researchers or others with an interest in CBRL and its history, without favour or discrimination subject to access conditions designed to protect the CBRL archives from risks to their condition and integrity. Provision for access to the CBRL physical archives will be made in a reading room which permits invigilation by CBRL staff, or staff of contractors or partners responsible for managing CBRL’s archives, which is furnished with desks and equipment to promote good handling practices. Provision to digital archives and surrogates will be via digital communications such as web-based technology and digital transfer. CBRL is committed to the creation and provision of digital surrogates to promote greater access to its archives.
Purpose
The aims of CBRL’s Archives Access Policy are to ensure that:
- Access to the CBRL Archives is provided in a fair and objective way
- CBRL’s physical archives produced to users are stable and robust enough to be handled without causing damage to them
- Suitable archival description, appropriate finding aids and other metadata are created and maintained such that users can identify archive material that interests them and physical material is not subject to unnecessary production and wear and tear
Scope and Application
The CBRL Archives Access Policy applies to all archives in all formats whether stored in CBRL premises, by a partner organisation or contracted archive service providers. This includes but is not limited to:
- Paper files and volumes
- Large format plans and maps
- Photographic prints, negatives and slides
- Digital records and images
Finding aids and production
Access to archival material that has not yet been catalogued will not normally be granted. Cataloguing activity is subject to CBRL’s cataloguing procedures and strategy.
Archives will be produced in line with procedures that ensure physical archives are protected at all times when removed from archive storage areas, boxes and packaging. Removal of archives will be documented for security and tracking purposes as well as for the collection of data on the use of CBRL archives to inform overall management of the archives.
Access conditions and reading room guidelines
Researchers must register, providing their name and contact details, before they are permitted to access CBRL archives. The purpose is to ensure the security of the archive materials and also to allow for correspondence regarding the researcher’s line of enquiry. Researchers must also sign to indicate they have read the reading room guidelines which aim to ensure researchers are aware of the measures they must take to ensure the physical archives do not come to harm while they are consulting them. With respect to digital archives, researchers must agree to abide by copyright and other possible use and manipulation restrictions.
The following documentation will guide provision of researcher access to the CBRL Archives:
- Archive production procedures
- Reading room guidelines
- Handling guidelines
- Citation guidance
- Copyright acknowledgements (to ensure that researchers are aware of their own legal obligations with respect to copyright in copies they make of CBRL archives)
Reading room
Access to CBRL physical and original archives will only be provided in a dedicated space where a member of CBRL staff, or staff of contractors or partners responsible for managing CBRL’s archives, can invigilate and assist researchers. The room must never be left unattended by CBRL staff, or those of contractors or partners responsible for managing CBRL’s archives, when researchers are consulting archives. The room must be furnished with a desk large enough for researchers to open or unfold volumes and documents as well as allowing for space for laptops and/or notebooks and paper.
Use of surrogates to protect original archive material
Where archive material is subject to heavy use and at risk of wear and tear from frequent handling and removal from storage with appropriate environmental conditions, it will be necessary to create a digital or hard-copy surrogate to protect the original. Similarly if the original is damaged or fragile, it cannot be produced to researchers and will need remedial conservation to ensure it is strong enough to undergo the copying process. Where surrogates have been created to protect original archives, the original may not be produced for researchers to consult. The Archives Access Policy makes provision for researchers to make a case to access originals with intrinsic information that could not be replicated in a copy.
Digital archives and digital surrogates
Access to born digital archives and digital surrogates will be provided by way of production copies either via read-only systems or via downloads or digital transfer.
Laws and regulations
Access to CBRL archives is subject to legislation and regulation governing archives and records management as well as data protection and copyright in the legal jurisdiction or jurisdictions where access is provided.
Responsibilities
Overall responsibility
Overall responsibility for access to the CBRL archives rests with the CBRL Director.
Operational responsibility
The Archives and Repository Manager (ARM) is responsible for day-to-day implementation of the Archives Access Policy. The ARM provides advice to the Director and all staff on archives access issues and monitors archives access provision to ensure that:
- Access is provided on a fair and equal footing to all those who request it
- Procedures and forms are in place in local languages to ensure that researchers are aware of their obligations with respect to copyright, careful handling and citation of CBRL archive material
- Access to CBRL archives is documented
- Archives accessed by researchers are handled carefully, do not suffer damage because they have been produced and do not spend any more time away from archival storage than needed for the researcher to consult them
- All staff involved in providing access to CBRL archives are trained in the relevant procedures
Staff
Individual staff may be responsible for:
- Identifying, fetching from and returning archive material to its storage facilities
- Guiding researchers in accessing and handling archives safely
- Invigilating and providing assistance to researchers in the reading room
- Documenting the production and use of archives
Contractors
Individuals and companies contracted to CBRL to provide archive management services are required to abide by the provisions of the CBRL Archives Access Policy, the CBRL Archives Preservation Policy and the CBRL Digital Preservation Policy.
Communication
This Archives Access Policy must be communicated and implemented at all levels of CBRL.
Relationship to other CBRL policies
The Archives Collecting Policy works together with the following CBRL policies:
- CBRL Archives and Records Management Policy
- CBRL Digital Preservation Policy
- CBRL Archives Collecting Policy
- CBRL Archives Preservation Policy
- CBRL Digitisation policy
The CBRL archives and records management procedures and the Council of British Research in the Levant UK Staff Handbook provide more detail on practical implementation of policies relating to the acquisition of archives. The CBRL Strategic Plan indicates archive management projects and activities that are current priorities for the organisation.