The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law.
The State Historical Society of Missouri does not require permission to publish forms for our materials. SHSMO encourages use of materials from our collections that are in the public domain and to make fair use of materials within the bounds of copyright law. The provision of reproduction(s) does not absolve users of copyrighted materials whose use does not qualify as "fair use" from securing permission from copyright owners, typically the creator or the heirs to his or her estate.
While the State Historical Society of Missouri owns the objects in our collections, SHSMO only owns copyright if it has been explicitly transferred. SHSMO cannot grant or deny permission to publish or distribute materials to which it does not clearly hold copyright. The requestor assumes all responsibility for questions of copyright and invasion of privacy that may arise from copying and from the use made of the copy. For further information, The Society of American Archivists has published a useful guide on Copyright and Unpublished Material for archival researchers.
SHSMO appreciates receiving a copy of published materials that make use of materials from our collections.
Citations
Any item quoted from or used in its entirety should be cited as belonging to The State Historical Society of Missouri.
Please cite photographs as follows: [Collection Name, Collection number. Identifier #.], The State Historical Society of Missouri, Photograph Collection.
Please cite manuscript collections as follows: [Collection Name, Collection number], The State Historical Society of Missouri, Manuscript Collection.
Examples
Trefts, Charles, Photographs (P0034). 34-2292. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Photograph Collection
Symington, W. Stuart (1901-1988), Papers, 1918-1995 (C3874), The State Historical Society of Missouri, Manuscript Collection.