Steve Barrett and Troy Reeves help process material at the Archives.

  Monday, April 27, 2009

Information Requests

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Click here for contact information, including hours

 Try our new online form for submitting your research request (but read the guidelines and fee information first!)

Public Archives and Reference Library (PARL) staff is happy to help with Idaho history-related questions.  You can reach us by telephone (208-334-3356), fax (208-334-3198), surface mail (Reference Services, 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise, ID  83712), or the link below. When sending a query, please keep in mind the following:

• Queries will be answered in the order received regardless of the format in which they arrive. Depending on the number of requests received at any given time, it may take several weeks to prepare an answer.
• INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS, so we can send photocopies, brochures, and other information. Your phone number or e-mail address is also helpful, in case there are questions about your query.
• MAKE YOUR REQUEST AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE and include dates, places, and individual's full names. Don't ask for "all the information you have on John Smith." Tell us exactly what information you need.
• IF POSSIBLE, CHECK BASIC SOURCES FIRST. Go to your local public library and use an encyclopedia, dictionary, or atlas to look up general topics.
• KEEP YOUR QUESTION SHORT. Because our staff is small, we can't answer requests that require more than two hours of staff time to research. However, we can provide a list of private researchers who will undertake searches for a fee.
• DO NOT SEND THE SAME REQUEST TO MORE THAN ONE STAFF PERSON. Queries will be directed to the appropriate staff.

Fees for Products and Services

There is no fee for basic reference services, such as explaining PARL policies and procedures, describing collection holdings, or discussing possible research strategies.  See below for a listing of all fees that apply to requests requiring staff to access finding aids and collections, search for information, or provide copies.

Please note that PARL reserves the right to refuse to copy materials that might be damaged by the process or have copyright or donor-imposed restrictions.  All fees must be received before materials are provided.  Idaho sales tax, as appropriate, will be added to all in-state orders.

All services listed above assume work will be completed by staff using in-house equipment.  Orders requiring use of an outside vendor may incur additional fees.  Larger digital files may require delivery via CD/DVD, depending on the size of the recipient's mailbox.  In such cases, "Delivery Fees for Photographic Digital Files" below will apply.

In addition to the research and photocopy fees listed above, the following delivery fees apply:

Interlibrary Loan

Most materials on microfilm (exceptions include the Idaho Statesman newspaper and Sanborn maps) and transcripts and audiotapes of oral history interviews may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan services at the borrower's local public library. We do not loan archive/manuscript materials, books, periodicals, maps, or audio-visual materials.

Loans are made only to academic, public, and historical agency libraries. Requests must be received from a qualified library on a standard ALA-approved ILL form or as an OCLC Interlibrary Loan online request. Material is loaned for a maximum of two weeks use and must be used in the borrowing library. There is a limit of two reels of microfilm and three oral history tapes/transcripts per request. Materials may not be renewed.

Material loaned through Interlibrary Loan must be for personal use only. The user is responsible for copyright compliance.  The borrower is responsible for cost of replacement if materials are damaged or lost while on loan.

For items which cannot be sent through Interlibrary Loan services, Research, Photocopy and Delivery fees as described above apply.

Copies are provided for personal use only. The user is responsible for copyright compliance. Materials from the Public Archives and Research Libary manuscript, photograph, oral history and public archives collections may not be reproduced without permission.

Other Services

Photographic Images Reproduction

Prints or slides of materials may be purchased unless restricted by the donor, copyright, or the condition of the item. Click here for the Image Order Form.  It is recommended, however, that all reproduction orders be discussed with PARL staff prior to submission to ensure accuracy.  Please note:  Image orders are not refundable.

For photographic print orders, delivery fees as listed above apply.

Most photographic images are also available as digital files.

Digital files can be burned to a CD/DVD and delivered via U.S. mail or delivered as an email attachment, depending on the size of the recipient's mailbox.

Advance written permission is required for publication or other public use and a fee is charged for all commercial uses.  Click here for the Permission to Use form.  It is recommended, however, that all Permission to Use requests be discussed with PARL staff prior to submission to ensure accuracy. 

Publications

From time to time, PARL publishes books on various Idaho history or 'how-to' topics, to complement the broader ISHS publication catalog.  Titles currently available directly from PARL include:

Retail inquires are welcome.  Delivery fees for publications are as follows: