The materials in WashU Libraries Digital Collections are made available for education, research, teaching, scholarship, and private study, at varying levels of access. Each item carries a standardized rights statement (from RightsStatements.org) describing what is known about its copyright status. WashU Libraries does not hold copyright in many of the works made available here, and the copyright status of historical and archival materials can be difficult to determine. A rights statement describes copyright status only; it is not a license and not legal advice. Materials may also be subject to rights and restrictions that a rights statement does not address, including privacy and publicity rights, trademark, cultural protocols, or the terms of a donor agreement. Beyond what fair use or other statutory exemptions allow, it is the user's responsibility to determine the copyright and any other rights in a work, to identify and locate rights holders, and to obtain any permission a particular use requires. Responsibility for use of these materials rests with the user. 

Materials are organized into the following three categories, each accessible in different configurations. 

Open: Fully public. Anyone can search, view, and read the description for these materials online. Downloads are not avialble for all objects. See "Requesting a download" below if you want to request a file.

Limited: The description is public and searchable, but the digital object (image or audiovisual file) is viewable only by the WashU community. This includes WashU faculty, staff, and students signing in with their WashU credentials, as well as visitors physically on campus (for example, during a class visit or reading room session). If you're not affiliated with WashU, you can request access; see below.

Restricted: The description is public and searchable, but the digital object is not viewable by anyone, including WashU community, without prior approval. Access requires a username and password issued by the Special Collections reading room team.

If you're a WashU student, faculty, or staff member off campus

1. When you open an object with limited access you'll see a prompt asking you to sign in.
2. Click the Access or Login link shown in the message.
3. Sign in with your WashU Key (SSO) credentials.
4. Once signed in, you'll be returned to the item and able to view it.

If you're visiting campus in person

Limited materials are also viewable automatically from on-campus computers and networks (for example, during a class visit or reading room tour). No login is required while connected to the WashU campus network.

If you're not affiliated with WashU and off campus

External researchers may request access to limited access materials via the Request for Access to Digitized Collections form with the item title or description. Your request will be reviewed and you will be issued a username and password.

Restricted materials require a username and password for every user, including WashU faculty, staff, and students. There is no automatic SSO or on-campus access for this tier.

1. When you open a restricted item, you'll see a message indicating that the object requires login.
2. Use the Request for Access to Digitized Collections form, providing the item title or description.
3. Your request will be reviewed and you will be issued a username and password for the restricted materials login.
4. Return to the item and enter your credentials when prompted to view the object.

Downloads of restricted materials, where permitted, are also handled through this same request process. Note in the form if you need a downloadable copy rather than (or in addition to) viewing access.

Downloads are only available for select materials. Where downloads are available the file will be compressed. If you want to request a file, of if you want to request a higher resolution file, use the Request for Access to Digitized Collections form, providing the item title or description. 

We are committed to making our collections available responsibly. If you are a rights holder, an individual represented in these materials (or their descendant or representative), or a member of a community connected to them, and you have a concern about copyright, privacy, cultural sensitivity, or the accuracy of how an item is presented, please contact us by email or via telephone at (314) 935-5495.

We review these requests promptly and in good faith. Where appropriate we may correct, restrict, or remove material, and we can temporarily restrict an item while we review your concern. Please include a link to the item and a short description of the issue.