The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley is opening its doors this fall semester to the use of personal cameras in the reading room. The trial program, which is implemented at many other institutions around the country, allows students and other patrons to photograph any of the items in the library's vast collection for personal use.
Susan Snyder, head of public services at The Bancroft, said the move will provide instant gratification to patrons and a more cost-effective approach to getting copies of materials. It also will give users increased access to many rare and often fragile items that cannot be photocopied due to the risk for damage, she said. Patrons' personal contact with these items will help raise awareness about the library's expansive collections, she added, and attract more visitors as a result.
Allowing library visitors to take their own photographs also provides more protection for the library's materials than making photocopies. The Bancroft employs special photocopy machines, but there is always some damage done. According to Snyder, photographs are much more protective.
Before implementing the program, Snyder and her staff looked at about 100 other institutions that have similar policies, including Stanford University. After analyzing the pros and cons of different systems, they decided to charge patrons $10 per day to photograph an unlimited amount of materials. People bring their cameras to the library, sign a user agreement, pay by cash, credit, or check at the front desk and set up at one of 10 seats designated for photography. A student employee oversees the photography to ensure no one misuses any materials and everyone complies with the rules.
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