Historical Room Guidelines
Visitors to the Lorraine B. Daley Historical Room must check in with library personnel before using Historical Room resources. Information collected at check in may be used in aggregate for reporting use statistics, grant applications, or similar archival functions.
Researchers are advised to bring a jacket or sweater to the Historical Room, as it is kept at a lower temperature than the rest of the library.
The historical room is climate controlled, and the door should be kept closed (or almost closed if the researcher has to leave briefly and return) at all times to protect the records housed inside.
Photographic materials (film, negatives, photographs, slides, etc.), metals, and other items as determined by the archivist should only be handled when wearing gloves. Other materials do not require gloves but should be handled gently with clean, dry hands. Wash and dry hands thoroughly before each entry into the Historical Room.
Research materials must remain on the Historical Room table at all times. When available, book cradles should be used for fragile books. Do not rest anything (laptops, phones, books, notepads, loose paper, etc.) on top of materials.
No pens, markers, highlighters, adhesives, cutting implements, food, drink, or chewing gum are permitted. Paper and pencils are available upon request. Use pencil when taking handwritten notes, and do not mark the Historical Room materials in any way.
Researchers are responsible for preserving the arrangement of unbound materials within their boxes and folders. Any upset to this arrangement should be reported to library personnel.
Photography is permitted as are phones, laptops, tablets, and similar devices. The Archives will make photocopies of materials on behalf of patrons for $0.25 a page, but reserves the right to deny excessive requests for reproductions or reproductions of fragile material.
Non-circulating materials in the Historical Room may not be removed from the room except by authorized library personnel.
Adherence to copyright law is the responsibility of the researcher. The Bridgewater Public Library Archives and Special Collections bears no responsibility for possible copyright infringement resulting from researchers’ use of Historical Room materials.
For questions regarding Historical Room rules, please contact the Archives staff.
Gift Policy
Donation of Materials
The Bridgewater Public Library Archives and Special Collections (“Archives”) accepts donations of historically significant documents, photographs, books, ephemera, and other materials that the Archives has the means to preserve and that fall within the collection policy.
Due to space constraints and limited library resources, the Archives is unable to accept all materials offered to us. The Archives reserves the right to dispose of unsolicited materials in any manner it deems appropriate.
All donations to the Archives must be approved by a Bridgewater Public Library Staff member, and potential donors are advised to contact the Archives staff before bringing historical materials to the Bridgewater Public Library. For new or lightly used popular fiction and nonfiction, children's books, music CDs and DVDs that are not related to Archives’ historical collections, please refer to the Support Us page.
Once donations to the Archives have been approved, donors will be asked to sign a Deed of Gift transferring ownership and (where possible) copyright of donated materials to the Archives. Immediately following the transfer of ownership, the Archives may process, store, digitize, use, deaccession and otherwise manage the items in any way it sees fit.
Donors have the same rights to access as the general public, limited by collection processing status, location of the items, library business hours, and preservation concerns for the collection.
Financial Donations
The Archives accepts monetary donations in person during open operating hours or by mail.
For more information on financial contributions to the Archives, please visit the Support Us page.
Appraisals and Tax Information
The Archives does not advise donors on the tax deductibility of gifts, and prospective donors of any kind should consult with legal/financial professionals prior to donating to the Archives.
The Archives does not conduct, review, or finance appraisals on behalf of donors. Please refer to the IRS for guidelines on determining the value of donated property. Appraisals should be conducted prior to the transfer of materials to the library’s care.
