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| The Conditions Governing Access note designates any restrictions to access to material due to legal requirements, donor restrictions, or MIT record access policy. The note may also document a lack of restrictions. The Conditions Governing Access note is required at the collection level. |
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| Do not confuse with the Conditions Governing Use note, which designates information about limitations on the use of the described materials after access has been granted. |
For more information about MIT's policies on access, see Access Restrictions Section.
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Collection Level Access
At the collection level, the access note should give a broad overview of any restrictions, or lack thereof for the entire collection. If a collection contains both open and restricted items, restriction notes should also be placed at the series and file level where restrictions exist. Certain collections may be entirely restricted. In ArchivesSpace, check the "Restrictions Apply" box where restrictions exist.
Common access practices
| Types of Records | Standard Language |
|---|---|
| Records of the Registrar’s Office | The Department of Distinctive Collections does not provide access to records of the Registrar’s Office. Contact the Registrar’s Office for information. |
| Department student records | These records are restricted. Authorized department staff should contact the reference staff of the Department of Distinctive Collections for access. |
| Faculty and Academic staff personnel records | The collection requires permission for access. Records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. |
Standard Language
| Materials are open, or are mostly open. | |
|---|---|
| Access Statement | Use when... |
| The collection is open for research. | ... collection is open for access (gift agreement for MC collection). ....all MIT records have been reviewed and there are no restrictions. |
| The collection is open for research. Access to MIT records is governed by Institute record policy | ... collection is open for access and contains MIT records to which restrictions may apply. |
| The collection is open for research. Portions of the collection are restricted. | ... collection is open and processed but you know a portion is restricted. |
| Digital files must be accessed on site in the reading room. | ... digital material is open, but not available online. |
| Materials are closed. | |
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| Access Statement | Use when... |
| The collection requires permission for access. Contact Distinctive Collections for further information. | ... there is no gift agreement (manuscript collections) or donor specified restrictions in the gift agreement. ... administrative records are less than 20 years old. |
| The collection requires permission for access. Records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. Contact Distinctive Collections for further information. | ... entire collection is restricted under Institute policy, such as personnel or student record collections |
| The collection requires permission for access. Records are restricted for 50 years from the date of creation. Contact Distinctive Collections for further information. | ... collection comprises Corporation records. |
| The collection is closed. Contact Distinctive Collections for further information. | ... gift agreement has restrictions and entire collection is not yet open ... collection has major physical condition issues ... collection has legal access issues ... collection is being processed (note temporary closure) |
Oral history collections may have complicated access agreements, sometimes with permissions split between material format or by interviewee. These should feature access statements that should be used at both the collection and file level.
| Oral history specific options. | |
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| Access Statement | Use when... |
| Transcripts are open for research. Audio recordings of interviews are closed. | ... permission is split. This information goes into the access note. |
| Some histories are restricted. | ... oral history collections have specific access for each person. |
Series Level Access Notes
If restrictions exist in the collection, all levels will also need clarification where restrictions exist. Check off "Restrictions Apply" box in ArchivesSpace at the Series Level in addition to adding the access note.
Examples
- Series is restricted for XX years.
- Series is open for research.
- Series is open for research. Portions of the collection are restricted.
File and Item Level Access Notes
Access notes are required at the item level for all new digital objects. Notes should also be placed at the lowest level (file or item) wherever restrictions on access exist. Check off "restrictions apply" box in addition to adding the access note.
Examples
The Conditions Governing Access note is required at the collection level. For collections containing both restricted and open materials, access notes should be added at every level that restrictions exist. For more information about MIT's policies on access, see Access Restrictions Section.
Documenting Access Restrictions
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