Policies

The Clarke Historical Library has a variety of special policies, offers a number of specialized services, and maintains a schedule of hours that is different from that of Central Michigan University’s University Library.

Although the library is funded by Central Michigan University to serve as a resource for the campus and scholarly communities, the general public is also welcome to use the facility. However, because of the rare nature of much of the library's collection, material may only be used in the Clarke Reading Room (no material may be checked out). The library is also a closed stack, meaning that users are not allowed to browse the shelves. Users who visit the Clarke are asked to follow several special rules.

• Identification may be required.

• Patrons may be limited to using only one item at a time.

• Only a pencil may be used for note-taking.

• All material must be handled with care.

• Tracing of maps or other material is not allowed.

• Photographs may be taken only with permission.

• Coats, parcels, and backpacks must be left in a designated area.

• Photocopying is available at the discretion of the library staff.

• The library staff reserves the right to inspect personal material which has been brought into the reading room.

The exhibit space within the Clarke Historical Library was constructed and is maintained to promote exhibitions related to the purpose of the Library. These include:

• The history of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory.
  
  
• The history of Central Michigan University.
  
  
• Selected topics related to Clarke Historical Library collections, including exemplary children's literature, campaign biographic of the United States, presidential candidates, the history of angling, and historic Michigan newspapers.

Exhibits that fall outside these areas of interest, regardless of their intrinsic merit or source of origin, are not eligible for inclusion in this space.

Photocopying Policy and Fees

Photocopies of library material can be made. Because many of the items are fragile, one-of-a-kind pieces that represent significant preservation challenges, library staff make all copies. If in the opinion of the staff, it is impossible to copy an item without causing damage to it, the staff reserves the right to refuse to copy that item. The library staff will also refuse to copy an item if, in the staff's opinion, the request would violate U.S. copyright law.

Patrons who visit the library and personally identify the material they wished copied are charged fifteen cents per copy image. Photocopy orders are processed in the order in which they are received. If the library is busy, or if an order is placed late in the day, it is sometimes not possible to fill an order while the patron waits. If this situation occurs the patron has several choices:

• The patron may return at a later time to pick up the photocopies.

• For pre-paid orders of 25 copies or less, the library will mail the copies without assessing any additional charges to the patron. The material will be mailed first class (or its equivalent) via the USPS.

• For order for which prepayment is not received, or in cases where the order exceeds 25 copies, the library will mail the material to the patron charging a minimum of $1.00 for shipping or handling, or actual postage, whichever is greater, in addition to the photocopy charges. Material will be mailed first class (or its equivalent) via the USPS.

Patrons who mail or email their requests to the library, requiring the library staff to find the required material, are charged twenty-five cents per image. Patrons who request us to download and mail to them hardcopy of material found on our web page will also be charged twenty-five cents per 8.5 by 11-inch sheet of paper printed.

Reproduction policies and Fees

Because of recent changes in support services, the library staff cannot at this time arrange for photographic copies of material to be made. Currently, digital images made from photographic material can be made..

In some instances individuals may be allowed to make photographic or digital copies of material using their own equipment. Such copying, however, must be approved in advance by the library staff.

Patron fees for photographic or other images selected by patron and scanned for personal use copies in the Clarke by are as follows:

• $3 for each scanned image, if the original image measures 8.5x11 or smaller.
• $9 for each scanned image, if the original image measures more than 8.5x11.
• $2 shipping & handling fee if not delivered electronically.
• $1 for each additional CD required (as many images will be put on a CD as possible).

To Order Images Please Contact us at clarke@cmich.edu

DVDs, VHS, and similar formatted materials of less than 1 hour in length can be copied for $15, if consistent with copyright law. Eight and 16 mm film copying costs will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Preface

The Clarke Historical Library emphasizes the preservation and collection of documents in three areas:

• The History of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory
• Children’s Literature
• The Archives of Central Michigan University
  

Unless otherwise stated, the criteria listed below apply to items purchased by the Library, gifts solicited by the Library, and material offered to the Library that has not been solicited.

When gathering printed material, the Library seeks to obtain hardback editions over paperback editions and original editions over reprint editions. Insofar as possible the Library will also seek to obtain access to electronic versions of material that can be distributed widely. When a paperback, reprint, or electronic edition has been obtained instead of the original edition, the Library will continue to seek the original edition.

The History of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory

The Clarke Historical Library seeks published and archival material, whether in traditional or electronic format, directly related to the history of the state of Michigan and the Old Northwest Territory.

Scope of Historical Collection and Time Period Documented

The Library seeks to document geological, biological, and human activity within the Old Northwest Territory and Michigan. Documentation of human activity will be collected from the first Native American settlements until each portion of the Old Northwest Territory was admitted into the Union as a state. The Library will not attempt to document the history of a portion of the Old Northwest Territory after its admission into the Union (Ohio, 1803; Indiana, 1816; Illinois, 1818) nor to document those portions of the territory that remained after Michigan’s admission to the Union in 1837 (Wisconsin Territory).

The Library seeks to document the state of Michigan from its admission into the Union until the present.

Historical Collection - Printed Material

The Library seeks to obtain monographic or serial printed items, including relevant electronic and government documents, as well as fiction, that primarily discuss the geological, biological, and human history of Michigan or the Old Northwest Territory. In general, the Library will not obtain works that tangentially or occasionally discuss Michigan or the Old Northwest Territory. With one exception, the Library will neither seek a comprehensive collection of all items printed in Michigan, nor of all Michigan authors. The Library will seek to acquire a comprehensive collection of publications printed in Michigan before 1850.

Historical Collection - Newspapers

The Library seeks a broad collection of newspapers documenting Michigan communities and those papers published in the Old Northwest Territory. In general the Library will collect papers via the Clarke Library’s Microfilm Program, filming selected papers as funding becomes available. The Library will also gain access to Michigan newspapers by subscribing to online databases or, on occasion, by buying microfilm of newspapers considered critical to the documentation of the state from other sources.

Historical Collection - Archival Material

The Library seeks to obtain archival material (personal manuscripts and archival records) that were created by people from or institutions in Michigan or the Old Northwest Territory. Archival material will be collected in accordance with the Library’s Manuscript Collecting Policy.

Out-of-Scope/Declined Material

In cases where the Library declines to accept gift material, the staff will make an effort to suggest another repository to the donors. 

Children’s Library

The Lucile Clarke Memorial Children’s Library was established by Dr. Norman Clarke, Sr., in 1972.

The Library will continue to develop and maintain an exemplary collection of significant books through which children obtain literacy skills, books which exemplify the best in creative writing for children, or books which represent important examples of illustration in children’s books. These books will represent both fiction and nonfiction (readers) published for children. The collection consists of:

1.    Authors and illustrators of children’s literature whose works were published fifty or more years ago and whose work has won wide critical recognition.

2.    Authors and illustrators who have been published more recently and have received regional, national, or international recognition. A list of the award-winning books collected by the Clarke can be found in Attachment 1.

3.    Michigan authors and illustrators creating children’s literature.

4.    Selected K-8 textbooks with an emphasis on textbooks used to introduce young children to reading.

Children’s Library - Time Period Documented

For the purposes of the Children’s Library, fifty years refers to the date of a specific volume’s first publication. Textbooks and works created by illustrators may be acquired regardless of the date of their creation.

Children’s Library - Non-Print Material

The Library will collect original art drawn for children’s books as outlined in the Molson Art Endowment. The Library will also accept manuscript material from Michigan-based authors and illustrators or authors and illustrators whose work reflects subjects based in Michigan.

University Archives

The Library serves as the archives for Central Michigan University. The archives will seek to document the University’s activities, as well as those of its faculty, staff, and students.

To accomplish this goal, staff members will work with appropriate University offices (currently Internal Audits) to identify in the University records schedule “permanent records” of historical value to be placed in the archives. The University archives will also accept records of University offices and those of current and former university employees. These may include faculty papers, and papers as well as other records of CMU alumni, or other individuals who have attended the institution, that are of permanent historical value but do not appear on the records schedule.

The Library will accept both printed and archival material that documents CMU.

Deaccessioning

This policy statement is intended to guide future acquisitions of material by the Library. Material currently held by the Clarke may be deaccessioned if that material does not fall into criteria established by this policy, in accordance with the Library deaccessioning policy.

Attachment I

Award-Winning Children’s Books Collected by the Clarke Historical Library

• Jane Addams Children’s Book Award (established in 1953) given by the Jane Addams Peace Association
• The Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature (established in 1993) given by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Caldecott Medal (established in 1938) given by the American Library Association
• Carnegie Medal Books (established in 1936) given by the [British] Library Association
• Hans Christian Andersen Award (established in 1956, separate awards were given to an author and an illustrator beginning in 1966) presented by the International Board on Books for Young People
• Kate Greenaway Medal (established in 1955, but not given in 1955 or 1958) awarded by the [British] Library Association
• Ezra Jack Keats Book Award (established in 1985—separate awards are given to a new writer and a new illustrator) presented by the New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
• Native American Youth Services Literature Award (established in 2006) sponsored by the American Indian Library Association
• Newbery Medal (established in 1922) given by the American Library Association
• Phoenix Award (established in 1985) presented by the Children’s Literature Association
• Society of School Librarians International Awards (established 2005–award categories are “Picture Books” and “K-6 novels”)

Manuscript Collecting Policy

Preface

Within the framework of the Library’s current collecting policy, this document seeks to define specific goals for collecting manuscript material of historical value.

Policy Statement

The rapid growth of manuscript material over time and the increased availability of contemporary manuscript material make it advisable to collect at different levels of intensity for different time periods. For the purposes of this document, three time periods are defined:

• Prior to 1837 (Old Northwest Territory)
• 1837-1900
• 1900-present

The Clarke Historical Library (CHL) will collect manuscript material created prior to 1837 (Old Northwest Territory) that relates to or describes any part of the Old Northwest Territory. The CHL will not collect material that relates to the non-Michigan portions of the Old Northwest Territory after those areas entered the Union or after Michigan’s admission to the Union.

The CHL will collect manuscript material about all aspects of Michigan, from any part of Michigan, from statehood until 1900. The CHL will collect Michigan material created after 1900 for selected aspects of Michigan history, society, and geographic areas within the state.

For Michigan records created after 1900, the CHL will focus primary attention upon a specific geographic area and will place emphasis on three subject themes.

• The geographic area of interest will be Michigan’s Lower Peninsula north of a line drawn through the cities of Grand Rapids and Flint.
• The three subject themes to be emphasized will be economic activity, including Michigan’s oil and gas industry, rural life, and Native American life.

Although emphasis will be placed on economic activity, rural life, and Native American life, information regarding other topics will be welcomed.

A manuscript is traditionally defined as a recording of information that has been manually created by someone or a small group of people, such as a hand-written letter or a report written by a committee for limited circulation, as opposed to being printed or reproduced by some other means. Today the definition has expanded to include various electronic documents created “by hand,” such as an email, but to exclude widely distributed electronic resources such as commercial databases, email “blasts,” and similar electronic items designed for very wide use or distribution, and thus which have more in common with items that were once printed. The counties of Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix, Clare, Crawford, Emmet, Genesee, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Huron, Iosco, Isabella, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm, Montmorency, Muskegon, Oceana, Ogemaw, Osceola, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Saginaw, Sanilac, St. Clair, Tuscola, and Wexford.

Application by Mode of Acquisition

Purchase

The CHL will purchase material in accordance with the above criteria.

Solicited Gifts

The CHL will solicit gift material in accordance with the above criteria.

Unsolicited Gifts

The same criteria used for purchases and solicited gifts will be applied to unsolicited gifts offered to the CHL. However, exceptions will be made when the staff can present a clear and compelling reason for accepting out-of-scope material.

Deaccessioning

This policy statement is intended to guide future acquisitions of material by the Library. Material currently held by the Clarke may be deaccessioned if that material does not fit the criteria established by this policy, in accordance with the Library’s deaccessioning policy.

Deaccessioning Policy

1. Items to be deaccessioned should meet one of the following criteria:

• Fall outside of the Library’s current collecting policy.
• Fall within the collecting scope but deemed by the staff to be of minimal intellectual or historical value and having minimal financial value.

2. The Library’s Director may sell or otherwise dispose of an item or items valued at less than $5,000. The deaccessioning of an item or group of items valued at more than $5,000 will require the approval of either the Executive Committee or the full Board of Governors.

3. Should changes in the Library’s collecting policy result in currently held material becoming out of scope, the Library’s Director will inform the Board, as part of the Director’s Report submitted at a regular Board meeting, of any plans to deaccession all or part of this material.

As with all patron search requests, Clarke staff will search for a half hour gratis for images to be copied. However, if a patron desires that staff spend additional time searching for materials to be copied, the Clarke will charge $20 for each additional half hour the staff search. The patron will be notified of this fee after the first (free) half hour of research has ended. If the patron agrees to pay the fee, the paid search will be implemented. If the patron does not agree to pay the fee, the search will end. This fee will be charged in half hour increments.

Under no circumstances will Clarke staff do paid genealogical research.

The CMU Digital Collections content is freely available for personal and educational use. Commercial use is expressly forbidden without the written permission of Clarke Historical Library and the copyright holder.