Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a problem?

Please send us an e-mail at digital@sciencehistory.org.

How do I request a copy of the images in the Digital Collections?

All images are freely available for download via the “Download” icon at the bottom of the image. As part of our mission to make our collections available for research and outreach, the Science History Institute provides free downloads of its Digital Collections material for scholarly and general use. Please note patrons are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they wish to use, investigating the ownership of the copyright, and obtaining permission for the intended use. Questions regarding the rights of our digital images may be directed to reproductions@sciencehistory.org.

I want to use the image I downloaded from the Digital Collections for a specific purpose (i.e., future publication or commercial product). Can you give me a rights license to do this?

The Institute does not provide rights licenses. Possession of a digital reproduction of the Science History Institute's collection materials does not constitute permission to publish, exhibit, or distribute. In most instances the Institute does not hold the copyright to its materials and cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Science History Institute staff makes every effort to inform patrons of copyrights and other restrictions that may apply to the works by providing a link to RightsStatements.org or Creative Commons in the Rights field in the object’s metadata record. Additional information about the Rights Statement is provided by clicking on the link in the Rights field in an object’s metadata record. Questions regarding the rights of our digital images may be directed to reproductions@sciencehistory.org.

How do I cite an image?

Please use “Courtesy of Science History Institute” in your credit line. When possible, we ask that you also include the title of the image or name of the collection.

How do I cite an oral history interview?

Online oral history transcripts and audio recordings should be cited separately. We recommend following the citation guidelines from the Baylor University Institute for Oral History. Please see the following examples:

Digital Transcript:

Carl Djerassi, interview by Jeffrey Sturchio and Arnold Thackray at Stanford University, Stanford, California, 31 July 1985. Format: digital transcript (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History #0017). Available at: https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/hm50ts561 (accessed on DATE).

Audio Recording:

Carl Djerassi, interview by Jeffrey Sturchio and Arnold Thackray at Stanford University, Stanford, California, 31 July 1985. Format: digital recording (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History #0017). Available at: https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/hm50ts561 (accessed on DATE): BEGINNING TIME STAMP - ENDING TIME STAMP.

Please also use “Courtesy of Science History Institute” in your credit line when applicable.

The item I want isn’t in the Digital Collections. How do I request a new reproduction? How long will it take to process?

More information about our Digital Reproduction Services can be found here.

I want to see other items in your library or museum that were not digitized.

For more information on how to access the full holdings in our physical collections, see the Science History Institute’s Collections page. From there you will be able to search our library catalog and the oral-history catalog, and make an appointment to schedule a research visit.

I believe I own the copyright to an image, but I’m not credited. How do I tell a staff member and/or request that the item be taken down?

The Science History Institute makes its collections available for education and research and makes reasonable efforts to present accurate and reliable information about copyright. If you believe you hold the copyright to an item and/or want to request that an item be taken down, please e-mail us at digital@sciencehistory.org, and we will consider your request. Please include the URL or the full title of the image.

Can I make recommendations to improve the metadata based on my personal experience with the objects or people represented in the image?

Yes! Please send an e-mail to digital@sciencehistory.org. You should include the URL or the full title of the image.

How do you decide what gets included in the Digital Collections?

We add new material on a daily basis, but only a small portion of the Science History Institute’s physical collections are represented here. Selection for digitization is guided by the Science History Institute’s Digital Collections Policy.

Can I freely download or extract your metadata?

We strive to make our open data freely available, but the options we provide for machine-readable metadata access are currently limited. We have some information on available options. If you have a project that could benefit from more convenient machine-accessible APIs for metadata access, please get in touch to share your use case.