Protected access
Why are some things unavailable?
Not everything in Special Collections is accessible. Some material may be unavailable to view because it is too fragile, or it may be on loan and therefore subject to the depositor's protections.
Some material also contains sensitive information or is subject to Data Protection regulations.
Fragile or damaged items
If material is too fragile to handle, it may be withdrawn from use until repairs can be carried out. Some damaged material may only be available at the discretion of the Conservator.
It may be possible to digitise fragile or damaged material to provide alternative access, but this will depend upon whether the digitisation process might cause further harm to the material without some conservation intervention.
Loan items
When collections are on loan to Special Collections, the depositor may have imposed additional access and copyright protections.
Information about any protections can be found on the individual catalogue records.