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Reproductions, Permissions & Fees

The Leo Baeck Institute is a not-for-profit research center open to the public. The vast majority of patrons who use LBI collections for private study, research, or scholarship can do so for free. There are however, two kinds of fees that LBI may charge for certain categories of use and special services: reproduction fees, and usage fees.

While obtaining copies for research purposes will only incur reproduction fees, publication or exhibition of an item from LBI collections typically involves one fee for reproduction (such as a high-resolution digital scan) and a second fee for usage.

Reproduction Fees: High resolution images or photocopies/low resolution scans can be requested for a fee. Please note that a large percentage of the collections are freely available in digital form as low resolution images already.

Usage Fees: Publication or exhibition of items from LBI holdings for commercial usage may be subject to fees.

Contact: To request a reproduction and/or permission for commercial usage of any item from the LBI collections, please contact Archivist Michael Simonson.

Time Frame: Requests will be answered typically within 10 business days. Faster service is available upon request for an additional charge.

Complete Policies and Schedule of Fees

Reproduction Policies

For material that is not digitized yet, reproductions in digital or other formats (photocopy, microfilm etc.) can be requested in compliance with applicable copyright laws.

However, the following restrictions apply:

  • No reproductions of “Rare Materials”
  • No reproductions of fragile or brittle items
  • No reproductions of bulky or cumbersome materials
  • The reproduction of some material requires written permission of the donor or author of the document,
  • In all instances, services are rendered at the discretion of the LBI and the LBI shall be the only arbiter of what may or may not be copied or reproduced.

Reproduction Fees

For reproduction requests received in the Reading Room of the Center for Jewish History (pursuant to CJH policy), please refer to this website: https://www.cjh.org/research/lillian-goldman-reading-room#photoduplication.

  • Digital Photography of Materials (Reading Room) by Users: free
    The Leo Baeck Institute prefers the use of flash-free personal digital photography in lieu of photocopies, in order to safeguard the condition of our materials. Many archival collections and printed books cannot be photocopied due to concerns about condition, and digital photography is often the only option for reproduction of these materials. Therefore, we strongly encourage all readers to bring a camera, tablet, or smartphone in order to take photos of materials; please do not assume that photocopies will be available or permitted.

For orders received at the LBI:

  • Photocopies or low resolution scans
    Base fee: Service charge $25
    Included is preparation time up to one hour, 20 photocopies or scans & shipping costs up to $10 or providing a link for downloading.
    Additional photocopies and preparation time above one hour are priced as follows:
    Photocopies/scans (b/w): $0.50 per page
    Photocopies/scans (color): $1.00 per page
  • High quality digital files
    High resolution (over 300 dpi): $40.00 per image / $25 for non-profit use
    Digital files are typically delivered via a link for downloading
    For delivery on e.g. a USB flash drive, a DVD etc : $10.00 per storage medium in addition to above
  • Audio materials (on CD-ROM or audio cassette):
    First hour: $50.00
    Each additional hour: $50.00
  • Microfilms
    Copy of positive or negative (diazo): $50.00 per reel

Usage Fees

In addition to reproduction fees, usage fees may apply to items from the LBI collections used for publication or display.

Are you an individual scholar, author, or non-profit organization?

Individual scholars, authors, and non-profit organizations can generally reproduce materials from LBI collections in publications without paying LBI for usage rights. However, it is your responsibility to research and clear any rights that may be held by third parties before using materials. If you require a reproduction, such as a high-resolution scan, for your publication or other use, then the charges outlined above will apply. We also request that you provide, at no cost to LBI, one complete copy of or digital access to the work in which any item from LBI collections is reproduced. Use this form to request reproductions or permission to publish materials from LBI collections.

Are you a Commercial Organization? Usage fees might apply.

There might be fees associated with commercial exhibitions, websites, or commercial publications. Use this form to request reproductions or permission to publish materials from LBI collections, and a staff member will contact you and generate an invoice.

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan US
Base fee: Service charge $25
Included is research time up to one hour & shipping costs up to $10.

Interlibrary Loan International
Base fee: Service charge $35
Included is research time up to one hour & shipping costs up to $25.

Payment

Once the fees have been calculated, LBI staff will generate an online invoice, to be paid by credit card before the reproductions are delivered. Other payment options are detailed here.

Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions

THE COPYRIGHT LAW OF THE UNITED STATES (TITLE 17, U.S. CODE) GOVERNS THE MAKING OF PHOTOCOPIES OR OTHER REPRODUCTIONS OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN THE LAW, LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ARE AUTHORIZED TO FURNISH A PHOTOCOPY OR OTHER REPRODUCTION. ONE OF THESE SPECIFIED CONDITIONS IS THAT THE PHOTOCOPY OR REPRODUCTION IS NOT TO BE “USED FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN PRIVATE STUDY, SCHOLARSHP, OR RESEARCH.” IF A USER MAKES A REQUEST FOR, OR LATER USES, A PHOTOCOPY OR REPRODUCTION FOR PURPOSES IN EXCESS OF “FAIR USE,” THAT USER MAY BE LIABLE FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. THIS INSTITUTION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO ACCEPT A COPYING ORDER IF, IN ITS JUDGEMENT, FULFILLMENT OF THE ORDER WOULD INVOLVE VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT LAW.