Page 304 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

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Regulations for access to the archives should be made public.
Any restrictions on access, if applicable, should be explained.
Details of regular opening hours should be given.
Conditions for consulting material should be clearly stated.
It may
from those consulting the material, before giving them access to unique pieces. Users of the archive should be made aware of rules, regulations and other codes of conduct which apply to the use of the archive service. Collection items should be protected from theft or damage during public inspection and unauthorized access to the records should be prevented. Obviously, the health and safety of the public should also be ensured.
In order to facilitate users’ access to the service, several specific measures can be taken. These include:
• Providing a catalogue with a short des- cription of all items held and available for consultation in publicly available finding aids, for instance through the internet.
• Providing a designated study area sufficient to satisfy normal demand for public access to the records; it should be suitable for inspection and easy to control.
• Providing technical facilities necessary for consulting the records that are appropriate for the type and quantity of archives, and ensuring proper maintenance of such equip- ment.
• Providing facilities for making photos or photocopies of records, with due regard to copyright restrictions.
• Taking reasonable measures to meet the special needs of disabled users.
be wise to require written proof of identity
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Curation of project archives