Local Resources

Policies

Purpose

In accordance with our mission and strategic plan, the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library (hereafter referred to as the Library) collects, preserves, and provides access to historical collections and works of art significant to Floyd County. The purpose of this policy is to define the scope of the Library’s Special Collections across all branches and to guide the Library in the acquisition and disposition of its permanent collection.

Collection Scope

The Library’s Special Collections, which include all branches, consist of non-circulating materials of historical or artistic value that require specialized, ongoing stewardship, due to their format, condition, or rareness. Materials are primarily related to Floyd County, or the land currently occupied by Floyd County, from any time period. General histories of Indiana and published materials of genealogical significance from locales outside of Floyd County may be collected based on community needs.

When selecting items for the Special Collections, the Library considers the following criteria:

  • Relevance to Floyd County and regional history
  • Enduring historical value or artistic merit
  • Representation of diverse viewpoints, expressions, and interests reflected by the community
  • Authenticity and provenance
  • Moral, legal, and ethical implications
  • The Library’s ability to preserve, store, provide access to, and display the item(s)
  • Relation to the existing collection
  • Access and disposition restrictions by donor

Materials Included:

The Library collects materials in a variety of formats, including print, audiovisual, and digital. Collections include but are not limited to books, indexes, family histories, vital records, yearbooks, city directories, periodicals, archives, personal papers, correspondence, diaries, genealogical research, government records, local business and organization records, maps, ephemera, photographs, microfilmed newspapers, oral histories, videos, sound recordings, electronic materials, paintings, drawings, and prints.

Three-dimensional artwork and artifacts are accepted on a limited basis, at the discretion of Library staff. The Library does not collect newspapers in their original format or family bibles (except family record pages).

Means of Acquisition

Materials may be acquired by purchase, commission, gift, bequest, field collection, transfer, or abandonment. In most cases, a deed of gift must be signed to transfer ownership to the Library.

Reappraisal and Deaccessioning

From time to time, the Library’s Special Collections will be reevaluated based on the above selection criteria, and the deaccession of some materials may take place. Deaccessioned items may be given to other institutions, returned to the donor, sold at Friends of the Library books sales, or otherwise discarded at the discretion of Library staff.

Approved by the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library Board of Trustees December 6, 2021

The Floyd County Library preserves and provides access to materials significant to the history of Floyd County. Because of the nature of historical records, some materials include language or images that may be outdated, biased, or unsettling. While this content does not reflect our community values of today, it may be representative of the views of some residents during the time period in which it originated. The library attempts to preserve these materials in the interest of historical integrity, while being respectful about how they are presented.

Due to the volume of the library’s special collections, attempts to revise outdated language and flag sensitive content are ongoing. Patrons are welcome to provide feedback by emailing [email protected].

I. User Groups

1. The Indiana Room is open to the general public. No special permission or letters of introduction are required. Researchers using the Archival Collections must register with the Indiana Room on an annual basis at which time they must show a valid form of photo identification and sign a logbook. A valid library card may be substituted if the researcher does not possess photo identification. Researchers coming in to use the genealogical, book, and vertical file collections will be exempt from needing to register each fiscal year although will still need to sign the logbook each time they come in.

II. Limitations on Access

1. The Indiana Room is committed to preserving its collections and making them available for research as soon as possible after they are received. At the same time, the Indiana Room may have an outside obligation, legal or otherwise, to restrict access to part of or all of a collection. Indiana room staff will inform researchers of any conditions that are governing the collections that are requested.
2. Private donors may impose reasonable restrictions with specific time limitations on the collections that are donated to the Indiana Room. Such restrictions must be documented on statement of gift. Donors are allowed to access collections that they have donated and restricted. However, they may not grant access to others; as such permission would legitimize unequal access to the Indiana Room’s collections.
3. Restricted records are closed to researchers. The Indiana Room Staff will not redact materials unless it is expressly permitted to do so under the statement of gift.
4. Unprocessed collections are available for research provided that they are not restricted and ownership has been established. However, access may need to be delayed for the Indiana Room staff to inventory the collection as well as stabilize any fragile materials. Items may take up to but will not exceed 180 working days from the date of donation to be made available for research.

III. Intellectual access

1. The archives will facilitate the access to collections by informing researchers about their existence. This is accomplished through online indexes, catalogs, inventories, web sites, and the assistance of the Indiana Room Staff.

IV. Physical Access

1. To protect and ensure the continued accessibility of its collections, all materials must be used in according to the Indiana Room Rules.
2. The Indiana Room may limit the access of an individual who has demonstrated such carelessness or deliberate destructiveness that has endangered the safety of its collection or has violated the Indiana Room rules.
3. The Indiana Room may require researchers to use access copies of materials in place of originals whose physical condition or format makes them unstable.

V. Reference/Copy Services

1. The Indiana Room facilitates access to its collections and the information they contain by providing copying services. All inquiries concerning reproductions of original materials must be referred to the Indiana Room Staff. A photocopier and microfilm scanner/printer is available in the Indiana Room for self-service use. Personal copying equipment is permitted as long as it is discussed in advance with Indiana Room Staff, does not endanger the materials and does not disrupt other researcher’s quiet research time. All copies, whether made by department staff or researchers, must be made in accordance with copyright law, and concern for the physical preservation of what is being copied.
2. The archival and photographic collections available in the Indiana Room are the property of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library. The Indiana Room does not charge individuals for personal use of copies from our collections. However the department requires written permission for public use of photos or copies of photos in our collection that are still under copyright (this predominantly consists of photos that are dated after 1923). Distribution of copied materials from Stuart B. Wrege Indiana History Room collections is and always will be strictly prohibited.
3. The Stuart B. Wrege Indiana Room Collections contain many original items that are of either a historic or artistic nature. Part of what makes them this way is there uniqueness. To protect this uniqueness copying of these special materials may be prohibited. This will be decided at the discretion of the library’s archivist or if he/she is not available, the Indiana Room Staff member who is on duty.
4. The Indiana Room will provide researchers a suggested form of citation that will credit the Indiana Room and identify the items within its holdings.

VI. Loan of Materials

1. Materials may be temporarily loaned back to the donor for a limited time. However, the Indiana Room strongly encourages donors to use collections in the reading room, instead of having them loaned back to the donor or to create reference copies when the information is required for an extended period of time.
2. In some circumstances the archives may temporarily loan items for exhibition following institutional procedures. The final decision to loan materials will be made by the Archivist in consultation with the Head of Public Services and the Indiana Room staff.
  • The Access Policy concerns patron access to our various materials.
  • The Indiana Room Collection Policy provides information on what types of materials we collect and why.
  • The Indiana Room Rules list what is and is not allowed in the Indiana Room.

  1. Indiana Room materials are non-circulating and must be used only in the Indiana Room during regular library hours.
  1. When using archival collections only items that are used to take notes are allowed with you.
  1. Pencils only, please.
  1. Use of cameras and scanners must be cleared with Indiana Room staff in advance.
  1. Food and beverages are not permitted in the Indiana Room.
  1. Please, practice cell phone courtesy by turning off your ringer and taking calls outside of the Indiana Room.
  1. Materials must be handled carefully. All materials must be used flat on the table. Do not make any marks on materials or affix extraneous items such as Post-It notes. No books, papers, or other objects (except special weights used to hold papers flat) may be laid upon materials. With more fragile books take care when turning pages and do not turn to many pages at one time. When trying to save your place use a bookmark do not place the book down with the spine open. Please report to the staff any concerns about the material.
  1. Except for the microfilm, all inquiries concerning reproductions must be referred to the staff. A photocopier is available for self-service copying, and use of personal copying equipment is generally permitted, providing such use is discussed in advance with the staff.  Photos of pages books and other materials can only be taken with the permission of Indiana Room Staff. Photos of entire books and scans of entire rolls of microfilm are
  1. Photography/scanning of artifacts, paintings, and photographs will only be allowed by permission of the Indiana Room staff, as it may require a form to be filled out.  Requests to copy any of these items should be made to the Indiana Room staff in advance.  Flash photography is strictly prohibited.
  1. Permission to publish or display copies of our holdings must be requested in writing and is subject to the terms outlined in the Permission for Public Use
  1. To prevent the mistaken interfiling of documents, researchers may only use materials from one box or drawer from a collection at a time. Open only one folder at a time and keep items in the order you find them. When finished with the materials either bring them to a staff member, or set them on the filing cabinet.  Do not attempt to re-file what was used where you found it.
  1. Cotton gloves (provided by Indiana Room) must be worn when working with some types of photographic materials.  This will be decided at the discretion of Indiana Room Staff.
  1. The Indiana Room does not allow patrons to go through the recycle bins or trash cans for any discarded materials, likewise, we cannot save old newspaper clippings for individuals or organizations.
  1. The Indiana Room will only donate recently discarded new complete editions of newspapers for charities, such as animal shelters and pet rescues.
  1. If a patron seeks to donate items to the Indiana Room and need tax forms, they must have their items appraised by a certified appraiser prior to donation. The NAFC Library does not provide appraisal services. See Indiana Room Donation Policy.

*Rules can be altered at the discretion of the Library Director for the purposes of accommodating persons of disabilities.

Approved by the Library Board on January 25, 2016.

Procedures

Many patrons live too far away or simply aren’t able to get into the Indiana Room for the information that they need.  While we cannot do extensive research, we are happy to send copies for specific requests.  This may be a copy of an obituary or copies of pages from a book, whatever it is that you need.  We ask that patrons request no more than eight (8) items per month, as we have many people using this service*.  You may request paper copies, which will be mailed to you and will cost ten cents (10¢) per page plus postage, or you may request digital copies, which will be e-mailed to you and are free of charge.  If you would like to place a copy request, there are three ways to contact us:

Telephone:

(812) 949-3527

E-mail:

[email protected]

Post:

Stuart B. Wrege Indiana History Room
New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
180 W. Spring St.
New Albany, IN 47150

*Copy requests are answered in the order in which they are received.  It may take 1-2 weeks to fill your request, depending on the volume and difficulty of your request, and the number of requests ahead of yours in the queue.

Questions about our policies or procedures? Contact us at [email protected] or (812) 949-3527.