Conditions Governing Access

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.

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.

Common access practices

Department student records

These records are restricted. Authorized department staff should contact the reference staff of the Department of Distinctive Collections for access.

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.

Faculty and Academic staff personnel records

The collection requires permission for access. Records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation.

 Examples

• The collection is open for research but it is not yet fully processed and may need to be reviewed before use. In accordance with MIT policy, there may be restrictions on access to MIT records.
• MIT records open after 20 years.
• The collection is open for research.
• Corporation and Executive Committee minutes open after 50 years.
• Student records open after 75 years.
• Personnel records open after 75 years.
• Digital files available on reading room computer only.

Access statement rational and other options

·       

CHOICE:

·       The collection requires permission for access. [following phrase should come after any additional phrases] Contact the Institute Archives for further information.

Use for MC collections, a set of personal papers, but we have not yet signed a gift agreement with donor or there are donor restrictions in the gift agreement.

Use for AC collections containing material less than 20 years (50 years or 75 years)

Add any additional phrases that apply:

·       Records are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation

add after the first phrase if you know specific restriction covers the entire collection in AC collections such as department student records

·       Records are restricted for 50 years from the date of creation

add after the first phrase if you know specific restriction covers the entire collection in AC collections such as Visiting Committee records

·       The collection is not yet fully processed and may need to be screened before use. In accordance with MIT policy, there may be restrictions on access to MIT records.

add if collection is not processed at all (preliminary list)

add if collection is partially processed (additional material added to an existing processed collection

·       Access to MIT records is governed by Institute record policy

add if we have gift agreement for MC collection but collection also has a series of MIT records to which the Institute records policy applies or if an MC collection is not fully processed and it appears that there may be MIT records in the collection.

CHOICE:

·       The collection is not yet fully processed and may need to be screened before use. In accordance with MIT policy, there may be restrictions on access to MIT records.

use if collection status is undefined or uncertain

use if collection is not processed at all (preliminary list)

use if collection is partially processed (additional material added to an existing processed collection)

add this phrase if it applies:

·       Access to MIT records is governed by Institute record policy

add if we have gift agreement for MC collection but collection also has a series of MIT records to which the Institute records policy applies

add if an MC collection is not fully processed and it appears that there may be MIT records in the collection.

CHOICE:

·       The collection is closed. Contact the Institute Archives for further information.

Use if collection gift agreement has restrictions and entire collection is not yet open, or if collection has major physical condition issues, or if collection has legal access issues, or if collection is being processed (note temporary closure)

Do not be explicit about reason in this note but can record reasons in accession record, access note. For instance, record in the accession record notes about the following:

legal access issues

being processed (or closed until processed, even if not being processed?) – sometimes there isn’t even a list

physical condition issues

CHOICE:

For digital material

·       Digital files must be accessed on site in the reading room.[GKS29]

CHOICE:

For oral histories

·       Transcripts are open for research. Audio recordings of interviews are closed.

Use only if permission is split. This information goes into the access note.

Add to the above as appropriate if oral history collections have specific access for each person

At the collection level, write the following:

·       Some histories are restricted.

At the folder or item level, use one of the following access restriction notes:

·       This interview is closed.

·       This interview is open.

MIT Practice at the series level, file level, or item level

Series and File Level

Check off "restrictions apply" box at the series level or folder level. All levels will need clarification - so if the series consists of files and items and they are all restricted, each archival object will need to have the restrictions apply box checked. If it is determined during processing or in providing reference use of a collection that individual series or folders are restricted, in the container list in Archivists Toolkit,

Item Level

Check off "restrictions apply" box at item level, if list is written at the item level.

This is a required element at item level for new digital objects. In the News Releases it states “No access restrictions: Open to the World”