LIBRARY: IIA Archival Contents Display Policy

Indian Institute of Astrophysics traces its origin back to an observatory in Madras set up in 1786. The Institute has naturally inherited the library and records of the observatories at Madras and later at Kodaikanal. This collection of archival records has grown over the years to include more than 5000 items in various formats such as manuscripts, photographs, maps, films, awards, hand-drawn sketches, pictures and instruments.

IIA holds the copyright for most of these items, hence has set up a physical display of these in the Archives. For those contents and items received in original from the family members of our former directors and scientists, we have ensured that the ownership rights is transferred to IIA Archives for the display purpose. In few cases the copyright rights is also transferred to IIA Archives, in view of facilitating the future use for scholarly purpose.

IIA Archival Access Policy

In order to preserve properly the IIA Archival collections for future use, make them available for current use and honor the rights of copyright owners the following display and access policy have been formulated.

  1. No materials may be borrowed. All reproduction work is done through the archives. No attempt is made to provide archival quality prints.
  2. Manuscript materials may be used only in the archival reading room. No manuscript can be taken out without the specific permission of the Officer in Charge of the archives.
  3. All reproductions made are for personal reference use only and possession of a reproduction does not constitute permission to publish it. To publish a reproduction from the IIA Archives collection, a request for one time use must be requested by filling up the Archives Request form downloaded, filled duly signed and submit to the archives@iiap.res.in prior to the use.( If the request for one time use of Archival material has been submitted, multiple uses of the same cannot be permitted).
  4. The IIA Archives reserves the right to refuse to grant permission and/or to provide photographic reproduction services to individuals who have not complied with filling up the copyright form, duly signed.
  5. We do not offer our collections for commercial use and alteration, reproduction and resale.
  6. The copyright Act of India (1957, Section 52) makes provision for making of photocopies and other reproductions of copyright materials under certain conditions. As per this, Archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction, provided it is used for private study, scholarship or research.
  7. IIA reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order for photographs/images in its collection, if in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
  8. As a policy a reproduction fee may be levied according to the individual request.
Last updated on: February 20, 2024