​Use of Digital Cameras

Researchers are permitted to use digital cameras for personal research purposes only (no flash or sound is permitted on any device). Users will need to sign our Digital Camera Policy agreement (PDF) in order to use a digital camera.

Use of Digital Cameras in the Reading Room

The Center for the History of Medicine makes its collections available for study and research only. Material from the collections may not be reproduced, transferred, or distributed in any form without authorization from the library. The library permits the limited use of digital cameras on-site, for the sole purpose of assisting researchers with note-taking, and subject to the following conditions:

  1. Photographs taken pursuant to this policy are for personal research purposes only and may not be reproduced, published, or distributed.
  2. Researchers must obtain the written authorization of the library, available upon request, to publish any content reproduced from the library's collections. Upon request, the library may provide a publication-quality, high-resolution copy of the content in question. Requests for permission to publish or orders for high-resolution reproductions must include the complete and proper citation information for each digital item, including author, title, page or folder number, collection number, and HOLLIS catalog number.
  3. No printed item or manuscript or collection may be photographed in its entirety, and no more than 10% of any volume or collection may be photographed.
  4. Camera flashes, special lighting, or additional equipment are not permitted in the reading room. All audible camera features must be turned off.
  5. Researchers must exercise extreme care in handling original materials. Bound volumes must be supported by book cradles and may not be flatted to obtain better images. Two-dimensional documents and visual materials must be kept flat on the table.
  6. The staff reserves the right to examine and request copies of all digital files.
  7. A library template must be photographed with all manuscript, archival, visual, and other unpublished items.
  8. Staff members may deny any request or revoke permission to photograph content in the library's collections for any reason, including the condition of the original item, copyright or donor restrictions, or disruption to other researchers.

Researchers should note that in many cases, the library does not own the copyright to content in its collections. The United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The reproduction or distribution of copyrighted content is copyright infringement, unless the user has obtained consent from the copyright owner or can otherwise establish a "fair use" or other statutory defense. The user agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Countway Library of Medicine and the President and Fellows of Harvard College against all claims, demands, costs, and expenses arising from his or her use of the Library's materials.

I hereby agree to the conditions outlined above.

General Principles

The Center for the History of Medicine’s mission is to enable the history of medicine to inform contemporary medicine and deepen the understanding of the society in which medicine is embedded. Making Center resources freely available for publication and use supports this mission, as well as those of the Harvard Library, which seeks to advance scholarship and teaching by committing itself to the creation, application, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge.

Publication Policy Statement

This policy for the publication and use of Center resources applies to the subsidiary collections that constitute the Center including, but is not limited to, the Harvard Medical Library (HML) and the Warren Anatomical Museum collection. Whenever possible, the Center will follow the spirit and practices outlined in the Harvard Library’s "Harvard Library Policy on Access to Digital Reproductions of Works in the Public Domain."

For Works Over Which the Center Does Not Hold or Does Not Wish to Assert Copyright

For works in the public domain, works for which copyright is held by a third-party, or works with known Harvard Medical Library rights that will not be invoked, the Center will assert no copyright, will charge no publication or usage fees, and will not grant or deny permission to publish. This policy similarly applies to digital reproductions made openly available on Harvard Library or Center web pages, digital content platforms (such as OnView), blogs, and social media.

For Works Over Which the Center Holds and Exercises Copyright

For works which the Center asserts its known copyright, public services staff will use the Office of General Counsel-approved Permission to Publish form. Works over which the Center may assert copyright include digital photographs of three-dimensional objects. Permission to publish will only be granted for specific uses; no third-party use is permitted, and credit lines are required. No publication or usage fees will be charged.

This policy is subject to the explanations and exclusions below:

  • As a general rule, publication or usage fees will not be assessed by the center for any provided digital or physical reproduction.
  • For digital surrogates provided by the center or Harvard Library via electronic resources or public services staff, the Center generally does not assert copyright on such reproductions, but does not relinquish any copyright it may hold on these works or their secondary representations.
  • Use of Center resources does not suggest or imply that the center or Harvard Library endorses, approves of, or participated in such projects. Harvard's name should not be used in the title or the name of the usage.
  • In general, the suggested credit lines to be used for Center collections are as follows, as appropriate:
    • Harvard Medical Library collection, Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library, Harvard University
    • Warren Anatomical Museum collection, Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library, Harvard University
  • In addition to the above credit lines, certain collections or works may have additional citation information; in such cases, additional credit line information will be provided.
  • As a general rule, with the exception of text books, commercial use of works with known and exclusive Center copyright will not be approved. The Center cannot approve or deny commercial use for surrogates of works in the public domain or for works in which it does not assert copyright.

If you are in possession of an image you would like to publish, and it is from a Boston Medical Library (BML) collection, please email requests to BML. If you are not sure if an image is Harvard's or the BML's, please contact the Center for the History of Medicine for assistance.

Reproduction Policy Statement

This policy for the creation of digital and print reproductions applies to the subsidiary collections that constitute the center, including but not limited to, the Harvard Medical Library (HML) and the Warren Anatomical Museum (WAM) as embedded within the center. Whenever possible the center will follow the spirit and practice outlined in the Harvard Library’s “Harvard Library Policy on Access to Digital Reproductions of Works in the Public Domain.”

  • This policy is subject to the explanations and exclusions stated in the above Publication Policy Statement and with the following additional details:
  • At the discretion of public services staff, the Center will embed source metadata in certain digital images provided to patrons. Reproduction fees may be charged at the discretion of the Center public services staff for any item without a viable digital surrogate. Charges vary depending on the nature of the request and may require professional studio photography, item transportation, and/or other associated fees for reproductions from Harvard Imaging Services or another vendor.
  • Unless specifically approved, all digital surrogates of three-dimensional objects must be taken by Center staff or a Center-approved vendor as a work for hire. No third-party photography is allowed without approval.

Third-Party Photography

  • For requests involving HML and WAM object material, approved third-party photography must provide reference images to the appropriate center collection. Users must sign the center’s Reproduction and Use of Images form.
  • Personal photography of works using a digital camera may be permitted under certain circumstances in the center’s Reading Room. Patrons can consult with public services staff in advance of their research visit regarding the Reading Room photography policy. Such personal photography requires that a Digital Photography Permission form be completed and signed by the patron.
  • Unless human remains are present, limited personal photography is permitted in the Countway Library 1st floor, L1, L2, and the Tosteson Medical Education center exhibit spaces. As human remains are displayed throughout the gallery of the Center for the History of Medicine on the Countway Library's 5th floor, no personal photography is permitted at any time. No flash photography or tripods are allowed in any of the exhibition spaces at any time. Professional photography and all video recording requests must be approved in advance by appropriate Center staff.