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Visiting the Heritage Collections Reading Room

Safe handling of collection material

It is a strict condition of using the Heritage Collections Reading Room that visitors comply with staff direction at all times when handling collection material. This is to ensure the safety of both the collection and of visitors. Staff are trained in safe collection handling and will provide guidance as required.

This may include:

  • directing you to use a particular table, to change seats or to move personal items or collection packaging to enable a clear line of sight from the staff desk.
  • providing collection handling guidance as required throughout your visit.
  • assessing collection material as too vulnerable to handle without consultation with the Library's Collection Care team.
  • issuing only one box, folder or item for use at a time. If you require more than one item at a time to enable comparisons, please speak to staff in the room.

Please speak to staff before photographing or creating copies of any collection material.

Collection handling basics

  • Ensure you have clean, dry hands.
  • Use pillows or other supports as directed by staff.
  • Do not use sticky notes or other paper to mark pages. Staff can provide acid-free page markers.
  • Do not press or flatten material. Staff can provide weights if safe to do so.
  • Do not touch items unnecessarily - e.g. removing material from sleeves, leaning on material, licking fingers to turn pages.
  • Keep material in the same order and in the same folder as it is issued.
  • Do not use any light source other than those provided by staff, including your phone torch.
  • If photographing material, do not use flash. Speak to staff about the Library's copy order service if you require publication quality images.

Large newspaper volume supported by two pillows.