Library staff are happy to assist with any inquiry pertaining to our specialized collections. We may be unable to assist with genealogical inquiries, or with general inquiries of the sort best directed to a local public library.
You can reach Library staff in the following ways:
The Library may provide copies of its holdings to researchers who are not able to visit the Library in person. There are fees for this service, depending on the kind of reproduction (PDF, high-density digital image, etc.). See the fee schedule for more details.
Researchers will make their requests online. Researchers may not receive more than 400 copy images per 30-day period.
Requests are not “orders” on demand and are fulfilled at our discretion. Copyright restrictions may apply. If any material is restricted, we will inform you. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? We fulfill requests as quickly as possible, often within two weeks. Delays may occur due to staff assignments, staff absences, Society events, or scheduled or unexpected closures of the Library. Very large, complicated, or special requests will require additional time.
DELIVERY AND BILLING: When your copy requests are completed, you will receive an automated notice sent to your registered email address. It will contain instructions to download your requests and to access the invoice for the service. You will have to log in to your Aeon account.
Make requests for copies of manuscript items DIRECTLY FROM THE FINDING AID. Next to an item in which you are interested, click on the link that reads “REQUEST A COPY OF THIS FILE.”
If you do not see any “Request a Copy” links: use the “Special Request” link at the top of the finding aid.
NEXT: After you click on Request a Copy of this File, you will be redirected to our Aeon login screen.
If you are previously registered with the Library: proceed with the log in. If you have forgotten your username or password, please contact [email protected]. Do not register again.
If you are not a previously registered user: click on “First Time User” and complete the registration. Then you may proceed with your request.
NEXT: You will be shown a page containing a request slip already filled out. Click the “Submit Request” button below the ticket. You are finished for this item. The rest is taken care of by the Library.
Make requests for copies from printed materials (books, serials, etc.) by email to [email protected].
ILL Requests: The Library does not participate in ILL exchanges. Librarians, please have your patrons contact us directly at [email protected].
If you find an item in our Digital Library for which you would like to request a high-resolution image, click on the image. You will find a link on the next page to order a copy.
If you would like a digital copy of any of our other materials, which are not in our Digital Library, please send your request to [email protected].
Permission to publish pertains to the publication, in any venue, of any reproduction from our collections. See the conditions on our Permission Request form. Usage fees are charged in addition to fees for providing images.
You must use our Permission Request form. We can not use your permission form nor that of any third party.
Please follow the instructions at the top of the form. When all fees have been paid, a copy of the Permission Request will be countersigned and returned to you.
There are separate permission fees for commercial and not-for-profit uses. Fees are per item, not per total request if there are multiple items. We may waive certain fees at our discretion.
Quoting short extracts from our manuscript materials may routinely be made following best practices of scholarly acknowledgment. If your publisher still requires a signed permission from us, please submit our Permission Request form. No fee is assessed for routine, short quotations in scholarly publications.
If you have already received a reproduction from us, but are now asking only for permission to publish, you may be assessed a separate permission fee at this time.
The American Philosophical Society ("APS") is committed to expanding access to the APS's significant holdings of primary and secondary materials that are currently available in hard copy only, and that would otherwise require onsite use only, and to creating and preserving digital, archival copies of fragile print resources by encouraging the use of digital copies of these items. The APS is also sensitive to the fact that some of its holdings are subject to the rights of others including copyright, privacy rights, rights of publicity, the rights of Native Peoples, as well as donor and lender restrictions, and other third party obligations. It is the objective of the APS to provide open access to its holdings where possible and to encourage the creation of scholarly works and publication, while respecting copyright law and third party rights, in furtherance of its charitable and educational purposes and in compliance with its obligations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.