VII.C.1. BRBL "Archives"

At present, there is no "Beinecke Library Archive." Beinecke's records are considered active administrative files and remain in the library. Documentation about collections acquired prior to Beinecke's founding (in 1963) can be found in our internal files, and on occasion in the University Librarian's files, which are in the custody of University Archives, Manuscripts and Archives, Sterling Library.

VII.C.2. Public Access

Although information in Beinecke administrative files may be made available to researchers at the discretion of the appropriate curator or the Director, the files themselves and their contents are not available for public consultation.

In the finding aid (usually the Description of the Papers), if you need to refer to background information on a collection that is available only in administrative files (current or archival), refer specifically only to the files in University Archives. Background information derived from Beinecke's administrative files should be incorporated directly into the Description of the Papers without specific reference to the file(s) in which the information was found. It is assumed that researchers seeking further background information or clarification of information in the register will contact the curator directly, or be referred to the curator by staff. It is then up to the curator or Director to determine what additional information from the files will be made available to the researcher. (rwf/nlb 7/94)

VII.C.3. Intermingled in Collections

Administrative file material which was or appears to have been pulled sometime in the past from administrative files and interfiled with the collection should be removed from the collection and returned to the appropriate administrative files in Beinecke and/or Sterling. This material would include original correspondence to Yale administrators, as well as carbons of correspondence from Yale administrators (i.e., carbons to Yale administrators, and originals from Yale administrators do belong in the manuscript collection).

If you uncover administrative paperwork intermingled in a collection, check for duplication in Beinecke's administrative and curatorial files. If the papers are not duplicates, file them in the appropriate administrative file. If they are duplicates, discard them (if also present in the curator's files) or pass them along to the curator.

VII.D. COPIES - RETENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF

VII.D.1. Photomechanical Copies of Original Manuscripts

Photomechanical copies are retained or discarded, depending on the particular circumstances of the collection. If retained, the fact that they are copies, not originals, is generally noted in folder descriptions in major series (e.g., correspondence or writings) and in some historical document series. In addition, they may require special stamping to indicate that they are "FOR REFERENCE USE ONLY, FOR REPRODUCTION CONTACT THE OWNER OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT."

Routine photocopies found in the research or subject files of a collection don't need to be noted specifically.

Never use the date of the original as the date of the copy. If you do not know the date when the copy was created, use "n.d." If the date of the original is also known, it should be recorded in the folder description, immediately before the form designation. See example in sample finding aid.

In the Writings series, and for printed material, the box and folder list should contain the information needed to identify various kinds of copies. Drafts of manuscripts might include one or more of the following:

Typescript, carbon, corrected
Typescript (photocopy)
Mimeograph, corrected

A reproduction of an article or short story might be identified in the following way. See example in sample finding aid.

VII.D.2. Photocopies of Originals in Other Beinecke Collections

Prior to the mid-1980s, papers in one collection sometimes were copied and interfiled into related collections, within and sometimes even across curatorial units, to facilitate research access to material related by topic. Also, originals were sometimes removed from one collection and interfiled into another, and reference photocopies were left behind in the source collection as "markers." These practices, though no longer in use, were common in YCAL and the General Collection; it's likely that instances will be encountered throughout Beinecke's holdings.

Copies of this sort should be weeded, but only after first verifying that the copies in question are not actually "markers" for originals that were once part of the collection and removed to another. If that's the case, the originals should be returned to the collection and a inserted into the other collection to account for the removal of the items.

VII.D.3. Photocopies of Manuscripts Not Owned by Beinecke

As a general rule, we do not retain photocopies of original letters or other documents for which we don't own the original. This tends to be the case most often with copies of works of known literary figures, for whom issues of literary rights are an ongoing concern. Older historical documents, particularly relating to relatively obscure or unknown persons, frequently are retained, as they generally reflect a collecting interest (for research or other purposes) of the creator of the collection.

In exceptional cases, we may attempt to verify that the originals from which the copies were made are still extant, hopefully in another public repository, before we discard the photocopies. The curators might or might not request permission to retain the copies; that's up to them.

If we are unable to verify the existence of originals, copies are likely to be retained "For Reference Use Only." In those cases where literary rights are a concern, the copies must be stamped:

"FOR REFERENCE USE ONLY
FOR REPRODUCTION CONTACT THE
OWNER OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT."

See the section on stamps in Appendix A for information about stamping procedures.

Even if copies are discarded, it can be useful to retain information about these related holdings somewhere in the finding aid (usually the front matter) or the curatorial files, if the material weeded is deemed significant and its removal from the collection after perhaps years of its being there might cause confusion for staff or researchers. In such cases, make a list of materials removed and their disposition; give a copy to the curator, and retain a copy in the Processing File.

Always consult with the Manuscript Unit Head or curator before weeding this type of material. Material weeded should be passed on to the curator for disposal unless he/she indicates otherwise (i.e., approves disposal by the Manuscript Unit). If material is to be retained for reference purposes, though not included in the archive, it is retained in the curatorial files pertaining to the collection, not in the Manuscript Unit's Processing File.

VII.D.4. Carbon Copies

Carbons are considered original documents. However, multiple, unannotated carbons should be weeded; retain only 2-3 copies unless otherwise instructed.

In a Correspondence series box and folder list, it usually is not necessary to note the presence of specific retained carbons of letters written by the records creator. If mentioned, note it in generic terms in the Description of the Papers only if it is not a frequent or fairly common occurrence. Otherwise, use folder specific notes instead. See example in sample finding aid.

VII.D.5. Transcripts

In the absence of an original source document that can be used for verification, transcripts should be considered original documents. Transcripts should be so noted in the box and folder list to avoid confusion about the location of the original document. Use a phrase like "includes transcripts" in a folder note, or the term "transcript" in the folder description. See example in sample finding aid.

If a folder contains an original and a transcript of the original, the transcript usually is not kept, unless the original is extremely difficult to read. If you decide that the information on the transcript is worth retaining, photocopy it onto acid-free paper, and discard the transcript. Each transcript should be filed after the original it accompanies.

VII.E. CORRECTING FINDING AIDS

When corrections are made to an existing finding aid, the corrections should be done within the format of that finding aid. That is, do not change the finding aid to conform to new practice while in the process of making one small correction (e.g., do not change "See: Oversize" references to "Stored in: Oversize, box #, folder #"; instead, you should add another "See: Oversize" reference, if necessary, to be consistent with the existing format).

VII.F. COUNTING LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS IN FILES

We do not count the number of letters present in a file, nor do we collate individual letters or manuscripts except in instances in which it is essential to establish the correct sequencing of the leaves (e.g., a text in Hebrew or Cyrillic). Instead, the extent of material is implied by a combination of features: 1) for correspondence, the minimum number of letters required for separate list (1 for known names, 3 for others); 2) the number of folders listed under a given entry; or 3) format of the date in the Date field (single month and/or day and year vs. a range of years).

VII.G. DATING UNDATED MATERIAL

Supplying dates can be a time-consuming (and risky) endeavor. Do not spend time trying to date anything for which determining even an approximate date will require a great deal of background research on your part. Also, don't spend time trying to date materials that are of little research significance, or for which the dates are or might be obvious to a better informed researcher.

Writings can be dated with some precision if the general period and sequence of writing and publishing of material are known, including periods of association with others whose annotations may appear on the material being described. Material that appears to be a contemporary account of a major world or national event can be dated, at least approximately, by consulting standard historical and newspaper indices.

A perpetual calendar is useful if the document at least provides information on days of the week and months of the year, such as Sunday, May 7, and if you have an approximate sense of the possible year.

Cancellations on envelopes and dates on stamps can also be helpful in this regard, but don't rely on them for precise dating. People frequently post letters a day or more after writing them, or a cover or envelope may not really match the letter it accompanies. Relying blindly on covers, therefore, can lead to incorrect dating of the letter. If you do decide to supply the date from the envelope (because there is good reason to believe that the letter and envelope belong together), place the date in brackets, e.g., [1988 May 6].

VII.H. DEALER DOCUMENTATION RETAINED WITH COLLECTIONS

VII.H.1. Current Accessions

Originals of dealer and other source documentation generally are not to be placed in with the collection. The library's copy of record for this sort of background information is kept in the library's Acknowledgment File (donor) and Dealer File, and/or in curatorial collection files (and/or in the case of the General Collection, bibliographic files).

At Beinecke, price notations that appear on documents themselves are considered part of the history of the document. Do not erase them. If dealer descriptions or accompanying documentation is to be kept with the item or collection (because it has useful information not readily put in a catalog record or finding aid description), price information must be removed. Photocopy the documentation you wish to retain with the item(s), mark out prices, and photocopy a clean copy onto acid-free paper, to be retained in the collection.

VII.H.2. Materials Acquired Prior to 1963

For these older collections, background information from dealers, donors, or other sources should be retained in the collection. This background material should be placed in the back of the folder and enclosed in acid-free paper.

VII.H.3. Materials Acquired Between 1963 and 1985

In the case of collections acquired after 1963 (but before 1985, the date when online accession records were first created at Beinecke), this background material should be pulled out of the collection and filed in the Acknowledgment File or in the Dealer File.

VII.I. DEPOSITS

For information about current deposits, see the section on deposits in Chapter VIII.

If a collection was formerly on deposit at the Beinecke, mention it in the front matter. Some examples:

The material was put on deposit in 1966 by James Jones and was donated to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library by his widow, Gloria Jones, in 1984.

The Robert Penn Warren Papers, on deposit at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library beginning in 1955, were purchased in 1986.

The collection came to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library from Newell's grandson, Alfred Z. Baker, Jr., through a series of deposits and gifts over a twenty year period beginning in 1965.

Roughly half of the present collection, mostly concerning The Dial magazine, had been on deposit at Yale since 1950.

VII.J.1. Printed

VII.J.2. Manuscript

VII.J.3. Realia

An item deemed to have no artifactual value (as determined by the appropriate curator), and for which the Director has determined that the library has no fiduciary responsibility, should be discarded. Such an item may either be put in the trash, or, if a staff member expresses an interest in retaining it, he/she may take it home. In the (unlikely) event that the item bears some kind of Yale or Beinecke ownership marking, this must be removed before the item is discarded or otherwise removed from the library. Examples of realia include filing cabinets, picture frames, old suitcases or carrying cases, and small metal cabinets. (confirmed with curators and director, 3/98)

VII.K. DUPLICATES

(See also the section on copies.)

We try to retain no more than 2-3 copies (i.e., original and best copies) of any item in the collection. When checking multiple copies for (possible) minor variations proves to be simply too time consuming, retain all copies. Multiple copies are noted in the folder title, in ( ), after the main folder description. See example in sample finding aid.

Weeded copies should be put aside in a box clearly marked as "dups - xx collection" and retained until the collection is completely processed. Duplicate material then can be examined by the curator and in most cases discarded, possibly through referral to a dealer. Some printed monographs for serials might be transferred to another Yale Library department.

If the curator decides to transfer the material to Technical Services, complete a . Complete one flag for each title to be discarded. Material weeded and to be discarded through a dealer or transferred to another library unit is passed along to the Technical Services Librarian, who handles disposal of duplicate material.

VII.L. ENCLOSURES

VII.L.1. General Notes

Enclosures generally are retained with the item(s) they accompany. (However, consult the appropriate curator for individual approaches to enclosures.) Special packaging may be required:

• Highly acidic items should be photocopied or enclosed in bond paper or mylar sleeves.
• Extremely fragile items may require a mylar sleeve for support and to protect them from abrasion.
• Photographs should be sleeved in mylar and a note concerning their presence (and identity of image, if known) appended to the folder description. See example in sample finding aid.

VII.L.2. Enclosed Serials

Isolated titles found as enclosures still can be quite bulky. Upon appropriate consultation with the Manuscript Unit Head and/or the curator, the relevant article may be clipped and attached to the cover of the publication and the rest of the publication discarded. Newspapers can be clipped with curatorial approval.

NOTE : If in doubt, check with the Manuscript Unit Head or appropriate curator to assist you in determining the value of a publication. Publications can have considerable value as examples of scarce or ephemeral imprints, or for exhibit purposes. Ephemeral works may require separate Orbis cataloging, even if kept in the archive.

If the author of an enclosure is not also the author of the cover letter, and the enclosure is important, describe the enclosure in a note. See example in sample finding aid.Then make the appropriate cross-reference under the name of the author of the enclosure. See example in sample finding aid.

VII.L.4. Enclosures with Letters

When a manuscript or document other than a piece of correspondence is enclosed with a letter, the letter and enclosure should be filed together under whichever of the two is the most significant document. For example:

• File a brief, unsubstantial cover letter transmitting a manuscript with the manuscript in the Writings series; a cross-reference for the letter usually isn't necessary.
• If a manuscript of peripheral interest accompanies a lengthy, substantive piece of correspondence, file the manuscript along with the letter in the Correspondence series. The enclosure is noted in the register under the correspondence list OR as a cross-reference from an appropriate point in the related series only if title or name association and access is deemed significant.

Envelopes are weeded only if the curator makes the decision to discard them. Otherwise, they are retained with the letters that they accompany. Since they can easily become separated from accompanying letters, check them for any information that may help to identify the item (dates, correspondents, places, etc.) and using a soft pencil, neatly transfer this information to the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the letter, without overwriting information of defacing the document.

File an envelope in front of the letter with which it is associated. This expedites microfilming prep in the event that the collection is later filmed. (Prior to 1995, an envelope was routinely placed behind the letter that it accompanied.)

Orphaned envelopes should be placed at the end of the folder or, if they are numerous, in a separate folder, at the end of the person's correspondence. (In the latter case, this folder should be labeled "Empty envelopes.")

VII.N. FRAMED ITEMS

VII.N.1. General Notes

For information on framed art storage, see the section on storage and handling in Chapter XI.

For efficient storage, handling, and retrieval, we prefer to remove items from frames and discard the frames. However, certain limitations apply.

Never unframe pieces that, once out of the frame, will still be too large for flat storage, or any apparently fragile item, until you are sure appropriate rehousing and conservation treatment can be provided. Many fragile items removed from frames will have to be matted and/or encapsulated.

In most cases, material housed in frames that have artifactual value (i.e., a vintage frame; frames that themselves make up a significant component of the item's artifactual and research value) should not be unframed. However, photographs in vintage frames should usually be unframed, and the frames should be stored separately (consult the appropriate curator in such a case).

Otherwise, discard frames without artifactual interest, and house their former contents appropriately.

VII.N.2. Storage of Framed Items

Large items that remain framed are best housed in the Art Storage area.

Smaller items are better suited to boxed storage. Frames to be stored in boxes should be wrapped in bubble wrap and then foldered to protect them and adjacent material from abrasion. House them in boxes as nearly as possible the same size as the frame. Custom-made boxes can be made for particularly odd-sized frames that do not fit well into our standard oversize boxes but will fit on the oversize shelves when boxed. Do this only when the frame is being retained for artifactual reasons. Otherwise, just use the most appropriate size of standard oversize box available.

VII.O. LINEAR FOOTAGE (CALCULATING)

Use the Linear Footage Calculator to calculate the linear footage of all boxed material in a collection. When making the calculation, measure the long side of oversize boxes and add each box's measurement, ignoring the possibility that the boxes might be shelved stacked one on top of the other. Do not estimate linear footage for rolls or broadside folders, unless the collection is primarily composed of such materials.

VII.P. MAPS

As a general rule, Beinecke does not collect single examples of flat, printed maps, but maps found in archival collections usually are retained.

Rare, printed maps must be stamped with a Beinecke Library ownership stamp and "source marked" (in pencil). They also may require separate cataloging. Be sure to mention the presence of maps in the collection survey so that a determination can be made about whether or not the maps warrant stamping, source marking, and separate cataloging.

Manuscript maps are handled much as are other manuscripts. Their folder labeling should include the following data wherever present:

• Cartographer/Creator
• Title, transcribed or supplied. See example in sample finding aid.
• Place of creation
• Date of creation

Descriptions for printed maps that are also cataloged separately should contain the key elements of the bibliographic description (cartographer, title, date, publisher, place of publication).

Bound, folded maps usually are best housed as issued (i.e., folded and enclosed in the board covers). Some may benefit from tissue backing to reinforce fold lines.

Unbound, folded maps may or may not be flattened and stored in oversize storage (including rolled), depending on condition, expected use, and artifactual value. Rare unbound maps that warrant ownership stamping and source marking should never be stored folded.

Sectioned maps mounted on linen usually can be stored folded in folders, as they were intended to be.

VII.Q.

VII.R. OVERSIZE MATERIAL

When listing material in the Oversize section, the folder description should serve to identify the item for paging: it does not need to match the folder title word for word. Notes appended to the folder description in the main listing should be omitted in the Oversize listing. The series affiliation of the material, however, should be given, in parantheses, after the folder description. Give the number of boxes and linear footage in a series note. However, because Oversize is not a true series (but serves only as a storage location), a date range should be omitted. See example in sample finding aid.

When assigning box numbers to the Oversize section, give a box number to anything that will be stored on the oversize shelves. If an item will be stored in the broadside cabinet, then put Bsd in place of the box number. If an item will be stored as a roll, then put Roll in place of the box number. For oversize portfolios, use Port. For framed art use Art, and for Objects use Obj. When any of these abbreviations is used, the next folder number should also have the box number reiterated in front of it, for the sake of clarity. See example in sample finding aid.

If you are adding a series (e.g., Series IV) to an existing finding aid, that series will be placed before the existing Oversize section, e.g.,

Series I. Correspondence
Series II. Writings
Series III. Family Papers
Series IV. Additions: Gift of George Leon
Oversize

For information about labeling oversize folders and boxes, see the section on affixing labels to folders and boxes in Chapter V.

VII.S.

VII.T. PRINTED MATERIAL

VII.T.1. Books

Printed material (books, serials, pamphlets, broadsides, printed ephemera, and maps) frequently accompany collections of papers. They may be works authored, edited by, or containing contributions by creators of records, orsimply imprints collected by them. Not infrequently, books the library knows it does not want to retain are separated from the collection on receipt; the Manuscript Unit never sees them. Eventually, loose or tipped-in clippings, manuscripts, and other materials that are to be retained by the library are removed and forwarded to the Manuscript Unit to be added to the corresponding manuscript collection or archive.

Whether or not printed material associated with an archive is retained, and how it is handled if retained, depends on a number of factors.

• Books, unless heavily annotated, are almost always removed for discard, transfer, or separate cataloging. If this separation does not happen when the material is first accessioned, the books should be removed and transferred when the archive is processed.
• Rare imprints retained with the collection usually will require separate Orbis cataloging in addition to the citation in the box and folder list.

1. Added to the Beinecke printed materials collections:

Provenance tracings are made in the 600 field of the book record if a direct provenance link to the manuscript collection is desired.

As a general rule, the transfer is not referenced in the finding aid or catalog record for the manuscript collection. Appropriate notes, however, are included in the collection's corresponding accession record(s), Processing File, curatorial files, etc.

NOTE: It is not always certain from the outset what will happen to much of the printed material removed from collections, which is why transfers generally are not noted in public records. The terms of an acquisition do not always require permanent retention of all printed material associated with a collection, and the library will sometimes buy a group of printed items with the knowledge that not all titles purchased will be retained. As a result, the printed component of a collection often is culled for titles of special interest to Beinecke and the remainder discarded or transferred to another Yale Library unit.

Because printed materials processing can take quite a long time, the library has found it easier to archive information about discarded printed material in the administrative files (accession records, etc.) rather than in public records (finding aids, Orbis records), and to establish provenance linkages, as appropriate, through the use of copy specific (590) notes and provenance name tracings in the catalog records for the titles it does retain.

2. Transferred to another Yale Library. No notations are made in the register; accession records, however, may be updated to reflect transfers, at the discretion of the Technical Services staff, who handle printed material transfers.
3. Weeded and flagged for discard (via Technical Services). Make a note in the Processing File.
4. Retained with the collection and cited in the box and folder list as part of a Printed Materials series or integrated into the collection at another appropriate point.

VII.T.2. Serials; Historical Pamphlets and Broadsides; and Printed Ephemera

Like books, these can be rare imprints or titles of general research interest held nowhere else at Yale, and therefore merit separate Orbis cataloging.

• Runs of periodicals usually are removed from collections for separate cataloging if they are to be retained. In exceptional cases (usually determined by rarity), the titles of single serials that fill in gaps in Beinecke/Yale runs but are retained in the archival collection are referred to Technical Services so that their presence in the archive can be noted in the corresponding serial record in Orbis.
• Otherwise, serials and other, non-monographic imprints that contain writings by or information about the record creator and his or her associates, pertain to subjects in which they took an interest, or bear annotations by their former owner and his/her associates, are kept with the collection.

When listing printed documents in the box and folder list, specify "printed version" when the form is not clearly stated or implied from the description. See example in sample finding aid.

VII.T.3. Printed Material in the Yale Collection of Western Americana

These are treated somewhat differently because of the interdependence of the SML and Beinecke Library WA holdings.

1. When you have a printed item in a WA collection, search Orbis and the card files at Sterling.
2. If another copy is cataloged, the curator rarely wants to make any note of the existence of the second copy.
3. If the only copy Yale owns is in a reformatted form such as microfilm, then catalog the original.
4. In general, do not separately catalog offprints/reprints that are issued from the original creator. If, however, the item has been reissued under a separate corporate identity, then treat it as a separate imprint and catalog it. For example, if an author's article is reissued as an offprint by the journal in which it originally appeared, you would not catalog the offprint. If, however, the Beinecke Library decided to reprint the article as a "Keepsake," that would constitute a separate corporate identity and would therefore be cataloged.

VII.T.4.a)General Notes

As a general rule, during the accessioning process for printed material, laid-in manuscripts, clippings, notes, etc., are removed and put aside to be included in the papers component of a collection. A processing slip may be inserted in the volume indicating that a manuscript material formerly in the book has been removed for separate cataloging. In most cases these loose items are then just integrated into the papers without any record made of provenance. Special circumstances may dictate a different form of treatment, perhaps pencilling provenance information onto the verso of the item, adding a provenance note to the finding aid description of the material, or arranging a group of "material removed from" as a distinct series or subseries in the collection.

Printed items with manuscript annotations or tipped-in material (i.e., a letter bound in) are handled in one of several ways.

VII.T.4.b)Annotated Works

If removed from the manuscript collection and cataloged separately, an appropriate 590 note describing the annotations is added to the catalog record. The names of individuals responsible for the annotations, if known, are traced as provenance tracings.

590: : |a With manuscript notes of Eugene O'Neill.

600:14: |a O'Neill, Eugene, |d 1888-1953 |x Ms. notes.

VII.T.4.c)Tipped-in Manuscripts

These may or may not be removed. If retained in the printed item, they should be so noted, as described above, in any corresponding catalog record and at least referenced in the finding aid to the papers. More important manuscripts may require even fuller descriptive treatment in the finding aid, particularly if the printed work is housed separately. In most cases, however, such an important manuscript feature, if tipped in, will have been removed from the printed work it accompanied, or the printed work itself simply integrated into the manuscript collection.

For information on Orbis-level cataloging of manuscript material retained in printed works, see the Orbis Cataloging Manual: Mixed Materials Format and Visual Materials Format.

VII.U. RESTRICTED MATERIAL

VII.U.1. General Notes

In most instances, access restrictions on processed collections at Beinecke are limited to specific items in a collection. Almost never is an entire processed collection restricted.

Access restrictions must be stated clearly in finding aids. Access restrictions other than Restricted Fragile are also noted in the corresponding catalog record. (Exceptional cases may be omitted.) Requests for access to, or further information about, restricted holdings are referred to the appropriate curator.

Restricted materials are physically isolated and clearly labeled as "restricted" to avoid any unauthorized access. For access restrictions other than Restricted Fragile, containers (or packages within containers) should be sealed.

VII.U.2. Types of Restricted Material

Access restrictions generally apply to one of two types of materials found in Beinecke manuscript collections.

VII.U.2.a) Restricted Papers

Papers of a personal or sensitive nature may be restricted for a specified time period, usually stipulated by the terms of the gift or purchase agreement. They are designated Restricted Papers in the finding aid and box and folder labeling. Staff must preserve the confidentiality of these documents to which public access is restricted. Students should not be permitted to work with material of this sort.

VII.U.2.b)Restricted Fragile

Materials being withheld from routine use because of their fragile physical condition are designated Restricted Fragile.  Surrogates (either preservation photocopies on acid-free paper, or black and white or color photographic prints) are filed in the collection in place of the originals. (All objects should be considered Restricted Fragile and should have reference photographs used in their place. See section on Three-Dimensional Objects)  The originals are then housed separately, as described in the section on packaging and listing Restricted Fragile.

VII.U.3. Packaging and Listing Restricted Papers

Restricted Papers are listed after Oversize but before Restricted Fragile. Box and folder numbers continue sequentially, as is the case for the rest of the collection. However, if an addition has been made to a collection, numerical irregularities may occur in the restricted materials sections. (See Oversize Material.)

Restricted materials are not considered true series for series numbering purposes in the finding aid. Consult the Microcomputer Manual for Registers and sample register pages for information on how they should be recorded in the table of contents and for formatting headings in the box list.

Restricted Papers may not always be fully described in the finding aid; in fact, sometimes they are not identified in any way but just noted as "Restricted." The level of description included in the finding aid should be consistent with the intent of the restriction; some materials are not to be made known in any form, just as Restricted Papers, whereas in other cases the nature of the material may be revealed (e.g., war diaries), but the materials themselves are withheld from use. In some cases, materials are received sealed, and we may not actually know the contents of the package.

If, in the course of processing, content information that is not to be made public is revealed to the processing staff, this information must be kept in complete confidence. Lists of restricted materials may be created, but should be "archived" in a secure file until the restriction is lifted. Consult the Manuscript Unit Head regarding arrangements for such lists.

NOTE: If the type of material under restriction is specifically identified (correspondence or diaries, for example), then the catalog record also should include a note about the restriction (e.g., 506::Diaries from 1956-1960 are closed until 2010). If the material is not identified in the finding aid, but instead is referred to simply by container (e.g., Box 24 restricted), then no mention of the restricted material will be made in the catalog record. Restricted Fragile for which preservation photocopies or photographic prints have been provided for reference use are not noted in the catalog record.

If the material is not already sealed, wrap it accordingly in acid-free paper or in an acid-free envelope, and securely tape it shut. Write the collection call number, series name, and the box and folder numbers on the outside; label it "Restricted/Closed Until [date]." If there is an accession record, write on the outside of the package "For further information, see accession record, [#]."

VII.U.4. Packaging and Listing Restricted Fragile

Restricted Fragile is listed after Restricted Papers. Items in Restricted Fragile are fully described at the appropriate point in the main box and folder list. If the material in question is too fragile to handle for in-depth analysis, describe the material as best you can; once conservation treatment has been undertaken, the register description in the main box and folder list can be enhanced.

Make sure that each item in Restricted Fragile has a reference surrogate in the main file. This surrogate may either be a preservation photocopy on acid-free paper or a color (or black and white) photographic print. The preservation photocopies are created in-house; the photographic prints must be produced by Yale AV (arranged through Public Services), either at Beinecke or off-site.

The following statement should appear on each leaf of a preservation photocopy (preferably at the top):

PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL IS RESTRICTED

NOTE: This is achieved by photocopying through an overhead transparency on which this standard text has been printed.

Restricted Fragile is generally housed in Hollinger boxes. If there are only one or two folders, the material should be put in a portfolio. Stamp the outside of each box or portfolio with the Restricted Fragile stamp.

If the material consists of art or objects, then it should be stored in Art/Object Storage. In this case, either update the appropriate record in artstore.tba, or, if a record does not already exist, fill out an and give it to the Public Services Librarian. If a record exists in artstore.tba for an item that is now being stored with the collection (e.g., an artwork that has been unframed and no longer needs to be stored in Art/Objects Storage), you must still update the record with the appropriate information. When making updates to artstore.tba, put the current call number in the ALTERNOS field (e.g., YCAL MSS 123, box 2, folder 25) and leave the item number (or accession number) in the CALL NO field; delete any references in the following fields:  FLOOR, RANGE, SECTION, SHELF, ALTERNOS, so there is no confusion about where the item is stored. If the item is no longer stored as an Art object, put the term “DELETE” in the ALTERNOS field.

In the Restricted Fragile list, the folder title contains only the box and folder numbers from which the material came. Each folder in Restricted Fragile receives its own box and folder number. A portfolio would have a folder number, but would be designated "Port" instead of receiving a box number; Restricted Fragile that is housed in ArtStor would have a folder number, but would be designated "Art" instead of receiving a box number. See example in sample finding aid.

A collection that had only two folders of Restricted Fragile in a portfolio would be listed in this way. See example in sample finding aid.

In the case of both Restricted Papers and Restricted Fragile, the nature and duration of restrictions is given in the Administrative Information section, cited at the end of the Description of the Papers, in addition to whatever notations appear in the box and folder list.

The following standardized wordings are used for Restricted Fragile:

• In the Restrictions on Access portion of the Administrative Information section of the register's front matter:

Restricted Fragile in Boxes 134-144 may only be consulted with permission of the appropriate curator. Preservation photocopies or photographic prints for reference use have been substituted in the main files.

• In the Box and Folder List:

"Box ___, Restricted Fragile, contains fragile originals. The material is arranged in folder order and may only be seen with the permission of the appropriate curator. Preservation photocopies or photographic prints have been substituted in the main files for reference use."

NOTE: In the box and folder list, the number of boxes and linear footage are given for Restricted Fragile, but a date span is omitted.

For a full discussion of this issue, consult Archives and Manuscripts: Law SAA Basic Manual Series, 1985, by Gary M. Peterson and Trudy Huskamp Peterson.

Privacy is the right of an individual to be left alone and free from unwarranted publicity. Different kinds of invasions of privacy include intruding on a person's seclusion or private affairs, public disclosure of embarrassing private facts about an individual, and publicity that places a person in a false light in the public eye. You should be particularly alert to the privacy interests of third parties who are living or likely to be living, but who may not be aware that material relating to them (in particular, anything written by them) is now in a public research repository. The curator also might not be aware of the presence of sensitive material, particularly in very large, disorderly collections.

The library has a particular responsibility to identify potentially sensitive materials of this type and to take appropriate action. Consult the Manuscript Unit Head and the appropriate curator for guidance if you encounter materials that may require special consideration. The course of action to be taken is decided by the curator, in consultation with other library staff and university administrators, as appropriate. If the library decides to impose an access restriction on this basis, the decision should be fully documented. Copies of pertinent memos, etc., should be filed in our Processing File, in addition to any copies retained by the curator.

VII.U.6. Lifting Restrictions in Processed Collections

After the curator has reviewed sealed materials and given the go-ahead to open previously restricted files, several "cleanup" tasks must be completed:

1. Edit the finding aid to convert any references to the former restrictions in the front matter and box and folder list, and expand descriptions of the material, as needed. Be careful not to remove notes that may apply to any restrictions that still are in effect for other material in the collection.
2. Create new folders and labels as necessary.
3. Update the catalog record. References to the restrictions in the 506 or 540 fields should be deleted, and a 949 note describing the deletion of the 506/40 field(s) should be added. Do not physically integrate the material into the previously unrestricted portion of the collection to which it belongs. This helps to retain the permanent record for researchers that the material was at one time restricted.

Rolled storage is a handy, durable means of handling oversize unbound materials, such as maps, scrolls, rubbings, and architectural drawings. The only restriction is that the materials should not be brittle or likely to become brittle.

For larger documents it is recommended that they be rolled around the outside of a rigid acid-free tube for support, then covered on the outside with a tough paper wrapper.

Never stuff a document inside a tube for storage, because this may cause the document to become damaged. The paper cover is a dust protector, as well as a means of securing the document to the tube.

The steps for rolling documents are as follows:

1. Use tubes that are 3" in diameter and acid-free.
2. There is no need to wrap the tube first with a protective cover unless the document is extremely fragile and delicate; then a softer smoother surface may be desirable.
3. The tube should be longer than the short dimension of the document, so that when the document is rolled on the tube there is at least a 1.5" extension of the tube beyond the edges of the document.
4. The cover should be acid-free wrapping paper.
5. Polyester film may be used as a cover if a special problem warrants its use. However, in most cases, paper is better.
6. The cover is used to secure the document rolled on the tube so that it does not slide up or down, or unravel. The cover should be large enough to wrap around the document and overlap itself, and should be sealed with string.
7. The cover should also be long enough to extend beyond the edges of the document rolled on the tube and still leave the ends of tube bare. These ends can act as physical protection against bashing.

Each of the curatorial units has its own storage area in the stacks. The reference set of current maps is available in the Manuscript Unit reference area.

The following types of stack storage are used:

• Shelves (for boxed collections and stand-alone volumes)
• Vertical Files (for small groups and single items)
• Volumes
• Broadside Cabinets
• Oversize Shelves (aka folio shelves)
• Rolled Storage
• Art Storage/Object Storage (areas for framed and 3-dimensional items)
• Walls (hanging art)
• Safes