CONDUCTING RESEARCH
at the Jimmy Carter Library

1.1 USE OF MATERIAL

The Jimmy Carter Library actively solicits material of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, material of major figures in the Carter administration or among the Carters' political or close personal friends, material of similar figures of secondary importance when they document significant aspects of the Carter administration, and material of President Carter's family.

The Carter Library Research Room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The Carter Library is available for the research use of any adult requiring the unique material contained in the library. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

The initial research visit begins with an interview by a Carter Library staff member. The researcher is required to fill out an application and present photographic identification. Access may be denied if the library's unique material is not required or if the researcher does not agree to abide by the rules and regulations for use established by the National Archives and Records Administration. The orientation interview also includes a discussion of the material available on the researcher's topic. Research assistance can often be provided by telephone or mail. Staff members will provide information about library holdings, copies of specific documents, and answers to specific questions. Staff members may not conduct research, select items for duplication, or review manuscripts.

Researchers are often referred to local universities or public libraries if the information sought is not exclusively available at the Carter Library.

Not all material at the library is available for research. Staff members must arrange, describe, preserve, and review for restrictions before material may be opened for research. Restrictions include national security regulations, federal agency restrictions, and access provisions in deeds of gift for donated material.

As of the second edition (1994) of this publication, approximately one-fourth of the holdings of the Carter Library were available for research. Collections that are identified as unavailable pending processing may have been processed between the time of publication of this guide and the time of the guide's use. Inquiries concerning the current availability of material are welcome. Open collections are clearly identified on the pages that follow, but open collections normally do include items that have been withdrawn for one of the reasons mentioned above. Researchers will find lists of all restricted items within the folders of open material.

All open material has been described for researchers in finding aids created in accordance with standard archival practice. Many of the finding aids can be loaned directly to researchers by mail. The staff may also be able to provide information concerning material available on specific topics.

The library is located approximately 15 miles from Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport and about 3 miles from downtown Atlanta. Public transportation is available in Atlanta. Lodging is abundant, but generally not near the library. Each researcher is asked to give the library a few days' notice of the first research visit, and inquiries concerning the latest lodging and transportation information can be answered at that time.

1.2 COPYRIGHT

The United States copyright law (P.L. 94-553, effective January 1, 1978) extends statutory rights of authorship to unpublished works, which were previously protected by literary property rights under common law. Such works do not have to be registered with the Copyright Office to receive protection under the law.

In general, the law provides copyright protection for a term of the life of the author plus 50 years. Unpublished and uncopyrighted works created before January 1, 1978, are covered as of that date by this same provision and are protected at the minimum until December 31, 2002. Works already in the public domain and work prepared by U. S. Government employees as part of official duties are not protected by copyright.

Researchers are advised that copyright gives to the author the sole right of publication and descends to his heirs for the term of the copyright, regardless of the ownership of the physical embodiment of the work. Persons wishing to publish any unpublished writings included in the papers of the Library should obtain permission from the holder of the copyright. Permission to reproduce copyrighted materials in the library's still photograph, motion picture, cartoon, and oral history collections must also be obtained from the copyright holder.

If names of the copyright holders are known to the library, they will be furnished upon request. Some individuals who have given their papers to the library have dedicated their literary property rights or have transmitted their copyrights to the U. S. Government.

The copyright law provides for ¸fair use¸ of copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder. Fair use encompasses scholarship and research, although the extent of such use is bounded by limitations on quotation and reproduction.

1.3 CITING CARTER LIBRARY MATERIAL

It is extremely important that researchers employ an adequate form of footnote citation. A clear, consistent form of citation will assist the Carter Library staff in finding the document for a researcher who wishes to reexamine it or for other researchers who wish to see it. Regardless of footnote style, each citation should contain these elements:

Type of document, names of sender and recipient or title of document, date, folder title, *box number, collection title, Jimmy Carter Library.
*Note: Do not identify a document solely by box number. These numbers are subject to change. Examples:


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