Archives & Special Collections is open to Liverpool Hope staff and students, and external researchers, strictly by appointment only.To make an appointment email Special Collections Librarian, Karen Backhouse or specialcollections@hope.ac.uk.
For academics planning teaching sessions using archives and special collections please refer to the content Learning and Teaching.
Open Online
Access to the collections is available online. Email specialcollections@hope.ac.uk with your research queries and our Special Collections Librarian will endeavour to fulfil your research needs virtually, and where possible, provide digital scans. We will work for up to one hour on requests for digital scans.
Visitors
Please note: These guidelines are subject to change depending on government advice on preventing the spread of Covid-19. During busy periods and periods of restriction, priority will be given to Liverpool Hope staff and students. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
To make an appointment to visit the Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) Reading Room, please give a brief description of the research being undertaken, a favourable date(s) most convenient for a visit, and an estimate of the time allocated for each visit, i.e. number of hours, half a day, or several concurrent days.
Please also indicate the name of the archive, the box number, or the reference/call number of the item(s) you wish to view, if known. This information is available from the Library catalogue, OneSearch, or indicated on the corresponding finding aid, available to download.
You may be asked to bring to the appointment one or both of the following:
a photographic form of ID e.g. a passport, student ID
a letter of recommendation from the university you attend or the organisation you are employed by
The Special Collections Librarian will advise you on what you need to bring, how to find us, and what to do when you arrive on campus. A&SC is located in The Sheppard-Worlock Library at the Hope Park campus in Childwall.
Contact details
For students and staff wishing to use the collections for their personal research, email Special Collections Librarian, Karen Backhouse, or specialcollections@hope.ac.uk to make an appointment.
Postal address:
Archives & Special Collections The Sheppard-Worlock Library Liverpool Hope University Hope Park Liverpool L16 9JD
If you wish to use the Reading Room, whether to consult the special collections or just to use as a quiet study space you will be required to sign-in and follow the Reading Room Regulations. They are important in safeguarding the collections and in preserving them for future generations. For more information on the preservation of our collections please refer to the A&SC Collection Care & Conservation Policy.
Good handling techniques
The main cause of damage to library special collections is sustained through poor handling. Damage is often cumulative and not immediately apparent. A culture of good handling will ensure continued access to collections and help to preserve them. All users have a responsibility for the care of the collections.
A&SC offer training on handling the collections and using book supports and snake weights. This will ensure good handling practises and the prevention of unnecessary deterioration of the books and also enable users to feel confident in using the collections. If there’s something you’re not sure about, please ask a member of staff to assist you.
Guidance is available to assist you in using the collections:
Not everything in Archives & Special Collections is accessible, why is this?
Fragile or damaged items
A&SC aims to enable the widest possible use of its collections by students, staff and visiting researchers and provide reasonable access within a framework of regulations designed to preserve rare, valuable and fragile materials. Material deemed too fragile to handle may be withdrawn from use or may only be available at the discretion of the Special Collections Librarian. A surrogate in the form of a digital reproduction may be provided, but this will depend upon whether the digitisation process might cause further harm to the material.
Collections on loan
When collections are on loan to A&SC, the depositor may have imposed additional access and copyright restrictions. The Special Collections Librarian will inform users if this is the case.
Uncatalogued material
Uncatalogued archives are not available until they have been assessed and any collections considered to be high risk are automatically restricted. Only a limited amount of information may be available in the catalogue, and decisions on restrictions may need to be reviewed when users request access.
Personal data in archives
Archives often contain sensitive material or personal data, and as such, is subject to the:
Data Protection Act 2018. Access to archive records containing personal data is restricted under the Data Protection Act 2018, taking effect of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
A&SC follows The National Archives guidance on archiving personal data with particular reference to closure periods. Some material may not be available at all. Other material will be available in part, or subject to certain restrictions. For personal information restricted under the Data Protection Act 2018, it will be necessary to provide proof of ‘next of kin’ or a family connection. Access to information is at the discretion of the Special Collections Librarian. Restricted access to archives is clearly indicated on the catalogue record, or on the accompanying finding aid.
Your responsibility as a researcher
As a researcher, you are responsible for any personal data concerning living individuals that you take away from Special Collections (including any notes, digital images and/or photocopies). You become a "data controller" of the personal data held about the individual/s (the "data subject/s").
As a data controller you have certain responsibilities:
• You must not cause substantial damage or distress to data subjects • You must not use data to support measures or decisions concerning individuals • You must anonymise identities whenever possible when note-taking, in results of research and statistics • You must respect the confidentiality of any documents and information not connected with your research but which you have seen in the course of it.
In deciding whether it is appropriate to use or publish personal information consider:
• Is the person alive? • Is the information already published or in the public domain? • Is the individual a public figure? • Does the information belong to a sensitive category of information as defined by the Data Protection Act? • Could the context of the information disclose data about an individual by default?
Digitisation, photography, and photocopying is possible as long as it:
• does not harm the item • does not break copyright law • is used for personal research and study only • complies with relevant legislation, such as data protection.
Please be aware that the physical condition or size of an item may prohibit any photocopying. Early printed books and manuscripts are not permitted to be photocopied; however, they may be photographed (without the use of flash) as no contact is made to cause potential damage. This is at the discretion of the Special Collections Librarian so please ask in advance.
We allow students and visitors to bring their own digital cameras or smartphones but you will be required to record details of what you photograph and how many you take. This is to monitor use of the collections and to gather statistical evidence for potential future digitisation projects. You will also be required to sign a declaration form stating that you have understood the following restrictions that apply:
• Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003. The restrictions related to special collections and archives are governed by this government legislation. • Data Protection Act 2018. Access to archive records containing personal data is restricted under the Data Protection Act 2018, taking effect of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
There is no charge for personal digital photography.
Image Licensing and Reproduction for Publication
To reproduce an image for publication, either for personal or commercial purposes, requires written consent from the rights holder. You will be required to complete a Licensing Request form with details of the requested image and publication details. There may be a charge imposed. For further information please email specialcollections@hope.ac.uk.
Reprographics Services
A&SC offers a reprographics or copying service for readers and remote users by digital scanning or digital photography, subject to copyright law, data protection, business sensitivity, and preservation restrictions. There is a fee to cover the cost for providing this service, further details can be found in the Reprographics Services Request form. Liverpool Hope staff and students will be required to complete a Use of Digital Photography for LHU staff and students form, and visitors; a Use of Digital Photography form.
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Donations & Deposits
Donations and deposits form an important role in the acquisition of archives and special collections and can range in scale from one or two books donated by a visitor to entire libraries or collections. A&SC will take account of the collecting policies of other institutions acquiring the same or related subject areas and will consult with such organisations where conflicts of interest may arise to avoid unnecessary duplication and a waste of resources. Other practical considerations must also be considered. Donations will not be accepted if:
there are signs of mould and/or pest infestations
they are of a particularly specialist nature, requiring skills or equipment beyond our available resources to preserve, exploit or interpret e.g. video or audio cassettes that need technology, now obsolete, to access
they comprise wholly or largely of photocopies or facsimiles of original material except in exceptional circumstances e.g. if the original has been destroyed and no other version exists. This is to ensure compliance with UK Copyright Law
they are PhD theses without a signed consent form from the author
if suitable space is not available.
Small donations will be assessed by the Director of Library and Learning Spaces, the Special Collections Librarian and/or the appropriate Subject Librarian(s). Academic staff with appropriate subject knowledge may also be consulted.
Large scale donations would be referred by the Director of Library and Learning Spaces to University Senior Managers and, normally, a visit would be arranged by library staff to assess the collection together with appropriate academic staff with subject expertise. A recommendation would then be made to the Senior Executive Team as to the value of the collection and its relevance to Hope’s research interests.
A formal agreement indicating whether the materials are a gift or on loan to the University must be signed by the donor before a collection is accepted. The terms of the agreement can be reviewed by the donor and adjustments made subject to the approval of the Director of Library and Learning Spaces and the Head of Legal Services, Governance and Risk. More information is available in the A&SC Collection Development and Management Policy.
Policies
The following policy documentation supports the Library Development Plan and Collections Management Policy and provides an overview of the basic principles and procedures governing the management of Special Collections within Liverpool Hope University.
