The Public Services Division offers a wide array of duplication services to our researchers, including photocopying, digital, and audiovisual reproductions. Due to the fragile and/or unique nature of the materials, all duplication is done by departmental staff. Requests for duplication services can be made in person at the reference desk, or by sending an email to specialcollections@stanford.edu.

Our duplication fee structure can be found on our duplication pricelist page.  Please note that we do not reproduce entire books or manuscript boxes (or substantial portions of either) unless authorized.

Duplication is for private research only. If you order copies of our materials, please note that this does not convey the right to use or publish the material. Such rights are secured only with the joint permission of the holder of the copyright (if applicable) and the library as owner of the material. In most cases, Special Collections does not own the copyright. It is the patron's sole responsibility to determine the copyright status and to obtain any required permission from the copyright holder. Other legal restrictions in addition to copyright, such as privacy, publicity and trademark rights, may also limit a researcher's use of library materials.

Many of our materials can be duplicated in house, but some cannot (due to fragility, size or medium of the requested item), and require an outside vendor. Duplication prices for these orders vary on a case-by-case basis. We will alert you if your item can not be duplicated in house and provide you with an estimate. For items that can be duplicated in house, please see our duplication pricelist.

Please note: All reproduction requests are reviewed by our staff, and fragile materials that pose serious preservation and conservation concerns will not be reproduced.

As a whole, photography is prohibited in Green Library. The use of a personal digital camera in the Field Reading Room to make digital surrogates of materials requires Department approval before your visit and is by appointment only. Please consult our policy on using digital cameras in the reading room for more information.

Photocopy reproductions

Photocopies can be made for researchers, depending on the physical condition of the items and donor and copyright restrictions, for a fee. Photocopy reproduction requests take approximately one or two weeks to be completed. Requests for photocopies may be made at the reference desk, or by sending an email to specialcollections@stanford.edu. If your photocopy order is large (over .5 inches) we will ask for a deposit before beginning processing your order.

For materials found in our rare book collections, photocopy requests must include:

• the title of the item
• the call number of the item
• the page number(s).

For manuscript or archival materials, photocopy requests must include:

• the name of the collection
• the collection call number
• the series, box, and folder number in which the selected materials are housed (if applicable)

Failure to provide such information can slow down the photocopy request process, and can, on occasion, prevent the request from being honored altogether. Due to the fragile and/or unique nature of the materials, all photocopying is done by departmental staff.

Generally, turnaround time for photocopies is two weeks.

Digital reproductions

Researchers requesting digital surrogates of images should allow approximately four weeks for their orders to be completed. Like photocopying, digital reproductions are dependent upon the physical condition of the items and copyright and donor restrictions. Pre-payment is required for all digital orders. Requests for digital reproductions may be made at the reference desk, or by sending an email to specialcollections@stanford.edu.

For materials found in our rare book collections, digital reproduction requests must include:

• the title of the item
• the call number of the item
• the page number(s)

For manuscript or archival materials, digital reproduction requests must include:

• the name of the collection
• the collection call number
• the series, box, and folder number in which the selected materials are housed (if applicable)

Failure to provide such information can slow down the request process, and can, on occasion, prevent the request from being honored altogether.

Under certain conditions, researchers may be allowed to use their personal digital cameras to make digital surrogates of materials. The use of a personal digital camera can occur only in the Field Reading Room and requires both department approval and an appointment. The conditions and restrictions for this service are noted on the policy which all researchers must review before their appointment begins.

All appointment requests must be submitted in writing before photography can begin. To schedule an appointment, please email specialcollections@stanford.edu with “Digital Camera: Request for Appt." as the email's subject line.

Generally, turnaround time for digital reproductions is four weeks.

Audiovisual reproduction

The vast majority of the electronic media holdings of the Department of Special Collections are in obsolete, difficult-to-access formats. Because most of these materials are old and/or rare, we cannot allow patrons to use the original audiovisual recordings. Instead, patrons must use copies that are made from the original items. Currently, 'use copies' do not exist for the majority of our collections. Therefore, researchers requesting duplication of electronic media must allow a minimum of four weeks to process a duplication order.

For manuscript or archival materials, audiovisual reproduction requests must include:

• the name of the collection
• the collection call number
• the series, box, and folder number in which the selected materials are housed (if applicable)

Failure to provide such information can slow down the request process, and can, on occasion, prevent the request from being honored altogether.

Please be aware that not all AV materials can be duplicated in house and some materials will require outsourcing and additional time to process. Outsourced costs can be quite steep, as professionally-trained third-party vendors are used to prepare, handle, and create reproductions.

Generally, turnaround time for digital reproductions is four weeks.

Payment information

We accept cash or check for duplication orders. Checks should be made payable to Stanford University and mailed to:

Department of Special Collections
Attn: Public Services
Green Library
Stanford University Libraries
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064

Please include a copy of your remittance with your check so that we may easily identify your payment to your order.