Visitor/Researcher Policy -
British Natural History Museum Collections Access Regulations
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/collections/accessing-collections/how-to-book-visit.html
The Natural History Museum (NHM) welcomes thousands of scientific visitors, artists and historians every year to its collections and core research laboratories. Our visitors contribute greatly to the enhancement of the collections scientifically and educationally. We would ask that you help us safeguard the collections for future generations by observing the following rules that apply when you are organising a visit to the collections, when visiting our collections and core research laboratories and when corresponding with staff after your visit.
1. Visitors are admitted to the Museum Collections and Core Research Laboratories by appointment only and following payment of any relevant fees.
2. Visitor passes (paper or a plastic security pass) must be visible at all times during visits, we request that you do not wear them outside NHM premises. Visitor passes are non-transferable.
3. Visitors issued a security pass that becomes lost or stolen must report this to their host as soon as possible. All security passes remain at all times the property of The NHM and must be shown or surrendered to hosts or senior officers on demand. They must be returned to your host at the end of your visit.
4. Visitors’ details and reasons for visits must not be misrepresented. You must not give a false name or address for the purpose of entering the Museum’s Collections, Library or Archives.
5. Visitors may not admit family members, partners, friends, colleagues or other guests during their visit without prior consultation with their host.
6. Additional conditions specific to access to the Library Collections can be found here http://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/our-science/dpts-facilities-staff/libraryandarchives/visitor-guidelines-and-conditions-of-use.pdf
7. If you are visiting a laboratory space then you will be required to abide by local laboratory rules.
8. Unless otherwise directed by your host you are not permitted to take into the Museum Collections or Core Research Laboratories any bag, briefcase, other container or any item that in the opinion of your host might cause damage to or obstruct the collections or laboratories. Chemical reagents and / or items that may be radio-active must be declared prior to your visit and may be refused entry to the NHM site. The following items are permitted:
• mobile phones, laptops and tablets (sound disabled)
• camera (flash disabled unless otherwise agreed by your host)
• headphones (quiet enough not to disturb other users)
• measuring or other scientific equipment agreed with your host
• comparative items that have been agreed in advance with your host and have been through the Museum’s Integrated Pest Management procedures where necessary.
9. Visitors cannot use their own data sticks to save their data from Core Research Laboratories instrument computers. Their Core Research Laboratory host will advise the visitor in terms of data storage and transfer.
10. Live animals and plants are not permitted in the Collections or Core Research Laboratories, the exception being an assistance dog accompanying a disabled person.
11. Damaged, defective or misplaced NHM items must be reported to hosts.
12. Items in the Museum’s Collections, the furniture, fittings relating to the Museum’s Collections or equipment within the Core Research Laboratories must not be deliberately, carelessly or negligently damaged, injured, defaced or destroyed. Subjecting an item to inappropriate handling that places it at risk of damage is not permitted, the following are considered inappropriate:
• Writing on or marking an item.
• Folding or creasing an item
• Any unnecessary handling or touching of an item
• Removing any part of an item or any tags or labels affixed to items.
• Altering an item in any way for example coating in chemicals, creating moulds, dissecting or changing an item’s appearance in any way without the permission of your host.
13. Visitors are permitted to visit only the areas and view only the items that are agreed by hosts.
14. Attempting to remove any item from the Collections without a valid loan agreement in place is not permitted. Any incidence of theft from or wilful damage to the Museum Collections will be treated as a criminal offence.
15. Photographing an object within the Earth and Life Science collections with visitor’s equipment is permitted, provided there is no threat of damage to the objects and as long as an NHM Photography Permit for Visiting Researchers is completed. Copying of Library and Archive materials is subject to copyright and may only be undertaken following discussion with library staff.
16. No filming or sharing of images of or information about Museum Collections or Core Research Laboratories via social media about is permitted without prior approval.
17. Visitors will be expected to read and adhere to our IT Terms and Conditions, which will be shared with them on arrival via their host.
18. No eating, drinking, smoking, vaping or chewing gum is permitted in the Museum Collections or Core Research Laboratories.
19. Anyone believed to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs will not be granted access.
20. Remaining in the Museum Collections or Core Research Laboratories after being requested by your host to leave at the end of opening hours or in an emergency situation is not permitted.
21. The Museum believes all people working within its collections and laboratories deserve respect. Nobody should be harassed while or as a result of working at the Museum. Harassment is any behaviour unwelcome or offensive to the individual receiving it. It could include any of the following, which is provided as an indicative list:
• Threats or other aggressive behaviour, including swearing or verbal abuse, personal comments or insults, racist or sexist remarks or behaviour and bullying or intimidation
• Unsolicited telephone calls, letters, notes, emails
• Persistent or vexatious enquiries or contacts via social media
• Display or transmission of offensive (e.g. racist or pornographic) material
• Unwanted touching/physical contact
22. Visitors found to have breached the above regulations during their visit may be asked to leave immediately. Depending on the circumstances of the breach, a Senior Officer rather than the host may inform the offending visitor that they must leave the premises. Subsequent requests to access the Collections or Laboratories from visitors previously asked to leave the premises will be considered on an individual basis, and future access is not guaranteed.
Loan Policy -
British Natural History Museum Loan policy
The following criteria are used to assess a loan request:
the receipt of the formal loan request with sufficient time to prepare the items,
this is a minimum of 9 months before the exhibition opens;
the fitness of the item for transport and display;
prior commitments for the item (research requirements, exhibitions, learning or
conservation). If the item is already on public display the Museum will take into
account the impact of the item not being on display at South Kensington or The
Natural History Museum at Tring;
resources required to make the loan of the requested item;
the degree of risk involved in the loan of the item and what interventions can be
made to resolve these to the Museum’s satisfaction;
Natural History Museum Collections Access & Information Policy 12
approval by the Museum of facility reports provided by the potential borrower
containing information regarding security, environment and buildings. These
forms must be submitted a minimum of 6 months before the proposed
transportation date;
the borrower providing assurance of immunity from judicial seizure or
comparable assurance from a government body or representative of an
appropriate authority;
the Museum will not lend to any exhibition which includes objects that are
known to have been stolen, illegally exported or illegally excavated; the only
exception to this is where the focus of the exhibition is the impact of these
activities, under these circumstances the Museum may consider the request;
the suitability of the borrowing institution; the Museum will normally only lend to
properly established organisations and to proper venues, whether run publicly
or privately, and usually only to exhibitions that are open to the general public;
the status of the exhibition to which the item would be lent, how significant the
item is to the exhibition and the purpose of the exhibition;
impact on the standing and reputation of the Museum.
Destructive/Invasive Analysis Policy -
University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Destructive Analysis Policy and Procedures
1. When requesting to sample an object or perform any type of analysis that modifies an object, awritten proposal (approximately 2 pages) must be submitted that includes the followinginformation:
a. Date of sampling request
b. Requester’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address
c. A description of the project and an explanation of the significance of the proposedresearch (make sure to describe the research methodology and expected analyticalresults)
d. Types of analysis to be performed (destructive to the objects) and why they areappropriate to the questions being asked
e. A discussion of why non-invasive or non-destructive techniques cannot be used toaddress the research questions
f. A discussion of other possible sources of objects, and why the Museum’s collectionsrepresent the best or only source of objects for sampling
g. Sample size or weight
h. Location where the analysis will be performed and who will analyze the results (name ofinstitution and contact information)
i. Date when the sample(s) will be returned (if applicable)
j. Catalog number and description of each object to be used in the project
i. The museum cannot and will not undertake the work of selecting specimens or objects to be sampled and will not agree to blanket requests. As a result, requestsfor destructive analysis will generally require a preliminary research visit. It issuggested that during the selecting process, the Researcher notes how many itemsfrom a collection will be used in the analysis (i.e., 2 sherds out of 100 from XXXcatalog number)
2. No alteration, sampling, modification or testing of objects is permitted without prior writtenauthorization in the form of a signed Museum of Anthropology Destructive Analysis Agreement.Under no circumstances is testing permitted in the absence of this agreement, including on thebasis of verbal discussions with any staff member, curator, or administrator.Adopted 5/9/2016
3. Voucher specimens (e.g., duplicate thin sections, powder or ground samples, and carbonsamples), usable sampled, and unused portions of specimens or objects must be returned to theMuseum. Full documentation regarding location, extent and kinds of sampling must bemaintained and provided to the Museum.
4. The Researcher agrees that the Museum will receive a complete copy of the analytical outcomes(including raw data in the form of graphs, computer printouts, etc.) resulting from the sampling ortesting of Museum collections. Analytical outcomes should include not only the raw results butalso details regarding specific methodologies and instrumentation (including manufacturer andmodel number) employed. The Researcher also agrees to submit to the Museum two copies ofany publications resulting from the research supported through the Destructive AnalysisAgreement. The Museum reserves the right to publish analytical results, or release the results toother scholars if the Researcher does not provide them to the scholarly community in a timelymanner (generally three years from date of testing unless otherwise stated in the approvedDestructive Analysis Agreement).
5. All costs of the analysis, including packing and round trip shipping, are the responsibility of theResearcher.6. Failure to follow Museum policy or guidelines may jeopardize future borrowing privileges forboth the Researcher and his or her institution.
6. Failure to follow Museum policy or guidelines may jeopardize future borrowing privileges forboth the Researcher and his or her institution.
Copyright and Reproductions Policy -
From UAMN Collections Management Policy
https://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ethno/policies/rights/
XVII. RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTION
DEFINITION: Rights and Reproductions refer to the ownership of certain intellectual property rights of the Museum’s collections. Most commonly, this refers to copyright. (See separate UAMN Copyright Policy for more detailed information.) UAMN follows the University of Alaska policies on Copyright (http://www.alaska.edu/active/copyright-issues/). Copyright of Museum collections and associated data is owned by the University of Alaska.
A. COPYRIGHT LAW
Many parts of the Museum’s holdings are protected by Copyright, that is, a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (17 U.S.C.), to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive rights to the following:
• the right of reproduction;
• the right of adaptation;
• the right of distribution;
• if the work is of such nature, the right of performance; and
• if the work is of such nature, the right of display.
B. ESTABLISHING COPYRIGHT
1. Before the Museum is able to grant permission to reproduce an image of an object, or other media where copyright would be in question, staff must be able to prove that the University of Alaska owns the copyright or has the right to grant such right from the copyright holder or 3rd-party representative.
2. Each department must be trained on identifying whether the University of Alaska owns the copyright on collections, as well as how to obtain copyright.
3. The copyright of photographs of Museum collections shall remain with the University of Alaska, unless a contract states otherwise.
4. Questions regarding copyright of collections and data associated with such material should be directed to the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Collection Development Officer.
5. The Museum will make all best efforts to determine the existence of copyright ownership prior to granting reproduction permissions with the understanding that copyright ownership may not be able to be determined. The Museum will use its best judgment in these matters.
C. GRANTING RIGHTS FOR REPRODUCTION
Use of images of Museum objects for research, exhibit, publication, programming, and publicity purposes is a common practice and when used appropriately such images serve to share Museum collections more widely.
1. Requests for the right to reproduce images of items in the Museum’s collections will be directed to the appropriate departmental curator or collections manager. Individual departments will manage all requests and permissions for reproduction, including the charging and remittal of fees.
2. Departmental staff will be responsible for identifying the copyright issues relevant to the request.
3. Requesting individuals/organizations will follow the policies and procedures established by individual departments regarding applications and conditions of use, including payment of fees if applicable.
D. ELECTRONIC USES
Text and image files, audio and video clips, and other content on the University of Alaska Museum of the North website or other virtual UAMN publications, are the property of the University of Alaska and may be protected by copyright and other restrictions as well. Copyrights and other proprietary rights in the content and design of the UAMN website may also be owned by individuals and entities other than, and in addition to, the University of Alaska. The University of Alaska expressly prohibits the copying of any protected materials on its website, except for the purposes of fair use as defined in the copyright law, and as described below.
E. FAIR USE
“Fair Use” refers to the legal right of individuals to use copyrighted materials for certain purposes without infringing on the copyright protections associated with those items. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act outlines four factors that must be considered when determining whether or not a specific use of a work is protected under Fair Use. Below is the actual text of Section 107 that lists these factors:
"In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include —
1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors."
Questions regarding Fair Use should be directed to the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Collection Development Officer.
The nature of historical archival collections such as those at a museum means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine. The UA Museum of the North seeks communications from any copyright owners who are not properly identified so that appropriate information may be provided in the future.
F. WARRANTY
The UA Museum of the North does not warrant that use of the text, images, and content displayed on the UAMN website will not infringe the rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with the UA Museum of the North.