Policies

The Dartmouth Library provides free, digital access to nearly 300,000 items from our collections — from classical texts to medieval manuscripts to scientific accounts to audiovisual materials. Our digital collections span several centuries of history, and items in these collections are a product of their time. Some items may be harmful or difficult to view because they are racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, or contain otherwise offensive or hateful views and opinions. The Dartmouth Library recognizes that making these materials widely available could potentially lead to their use in harmful ways. We also recognize that making these materials available opens them to historical critique. While we do not endorse or agree with the perspectives represented in these materials, we believe that a critical eye turned on the past creates insight that develops avenues for social change. 

Read the full Dartmouth Library Statement on Potentially Harmful Content.

Dartmouth College has provided access to these materials for educational and research purposes only. Dartmouth College does not authorize any use or reproduction whatsoever for commercial purposes. The materials are displayed "as is" and without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including any warranties of title, non-infringement of copyright or other rights. Materials in the Digital by Dartmouth Library collections may be protected by copyright law. Not all materials presented by Digital by Dartmouth Library are owned by Dartmouth College. On occasion we will digitize and present materials owned by private individuals or other institutions. Unless otherwise indicated, all permissions to publish from those materials must be directed to the individual or institution owning the physical materials. Materials that are protected by copyright law may be used only with permission from the copyright owner, or within the limits of fair use and other statutory exceptions.

The Dartmouth Library makes every effort to ensure that it has appropriate rights to provide access to content. For both copyright infringement and privacy concerns, the Library may work with Dartmouth College's Office of the General Counsel to make determinations about appropriate use. Depending on these determinations, the Library may remove the material(s) from its systems, restrict access to the material(s) in question, or continue to provide access to the material(s). Removing the work(s) in question may result in the Library ceasing to provide long-term preservation resources to the digitized content. If you have questions about publishing or reproducing materials from Digital by Dartmouth Library collections, contact the Library's Scholarly Communication, Copyright, and Publishing Program.

We will work with collaborators to design projects that align with the scope, values, and selection criteria and priorities outlined in DxDL's Collection Development Policy. Current areas of focus include Arctic and Antarctic materials, indigenous materials (in partnership with the Hood Museum of Art), and materials related to the history of Dartmouth College. We are also interested in projects that build on existing collections. Explore our collections to learn more.

Digital preservation ensures that faculty, staff, students, and other users will have ongoing access to the Dartmouth Library’s digital collections. Our  policy provides a broad set of digital preservation guidelines that shape our workflows so that they will meet accepted standards, make effective use of resources, and support the mission and goals of the Library. Read our full Digital Preservation Policy.