Request Copies

Special Collections offers digitization services for materials in its collections to assist scholars in their research. Researchers may request up to 100 copies of archival material or 200 pages of books, which are provided by Special Collections free of charge. 

Reproduction of materials is guided and governed by considerations such as donor restrictions, condition, and intrinsic value. We also provide high quality copies of resources accessible in our Digital Collections and the Chattanooga History Collections Online. Copy requests are processed in the order they are received. It may take 28 business days to process your order depending on complexity and staff resources. Once your copies are ready, we will send you a link from which you will be able to download copies to your own computer. Please note that we do not provide print copy services.

All requests are subject to review. We reserve the right to revise an order due to preservation concerns or time constraints.

If you are unable to visit Special Collections, you are welcome to hire a remote researcher to visit Special Collections on your behalf to make copies of the materials using their camera or smartphone. Upon request, Special Collections may recommend a UTC student to make copies on your behalf. These researchers are not employed by or accredited by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Special Collections is not able to answer questions about their availability, services, or charges.

Onsite researchers may use cameras, phones, tablets and other equipment to photograph material for study purposes. Portable scanners and other digital imaging equipment must be approved by our staff prior to use. Please note that we do not allow any of our rare and unique materials to pass through any kind of feed scanner. Special Collections offers a copy stand you may use to take images with your phone or camera, and high-end digital cameras are available for check out by UTC students, faculty, and staff from the Library's Studio. 

Researcher Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the researcher to keep complete and accurate citations (call numbers, captions, page numbers, and box and folder numbers) for all items requested. Requests for subsequent orders for high resolution images for publication will not be processed without this information.

• Researchers must work with staff to request scans or digital photographs.
• Researchers may not remove items to be copied from the folder/album, or folders/pages from the box or album.
• Researchers may not provide reproductions (photocopies, digital files, etc.) of our materials to another repository or researcher.
• Researchers are responsible for editing digital files provided by Special Collections. You may convert files to other formats using photo editing software such as Photoshop (available in the Library's Studio) or online tools like PicMonkey.
• Researchers are responsible for Copyright and Permissions.

Credit

Researchers who use images from our collections in exhibits, presentations, publications, and public spaces must credit the source using the guidelines below.

• Copies obtained from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga collections, including Manuscripts, University Archives, and Rare Books should be credited with the following statement, "Courtesy of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections."
• Copies obtained from the Chattanooga History Collections should be credited with the following statement, "Courtesy of the Chattanooga Public Library and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections."