Public Service Policies

Disciples of Christ Historical Society is the guardian of the Stone-Campbell tradition’s spiritual memory as well as the institutional memory of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The books and archival documents in its custody cover more than two centuries, documenting the origins and evolution of the Disciples of Christ and the history of churches in all three streams of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Every item requires very careful handling and storage, both to prevent deterioration and to preserve for future generations.

When you visit our Reading Room you have the opportunity to hold and study materials that are unique. Both you, as researcher, and DCHS, as keeper of the historic record, play essential roles in their preservation and security.

We serve the information needs of anyone who is interested in the contents of the collections housed in the Library and Archives and who agrees to abide by the conditions for use established for the long-term preservation of the materials.

• There is no charge for coming to the Society in person to view collections.
  
  
• We urge you to contact us in advance of your visit so that we can confirm that pertinent materials are among our holdings and available for research. Almost half of the Archives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are housed in off-site storage and 2 business days are required for retrieval.
  
  
• Researchers should bear in mind the restrictions on photocopying and publication imposed by the Copyright Act of 2003. It is the researcher’s responsibility to determine the copyright status and obtain the necessary permission before publication of material from the Society’s collections. (Please see Copyright Information.)
  
  
• For remote users of the Library and Archives who must rely on the staff to answer their questions for them, we have the expectation that the research (including photocopying or scanning) can be accomplished in 2 hours or less. Additional research is billed at $20.00 per hour.
  
  
• Only one research request will be filled at a time. Research inquiries are processed as they are received (whether received by mail, email, telephone, or fax). Allow up to 4 weeks for processing.
  
  
• If the question is more complex than can be answered in 2 hours of research patrons are asked to make arrangements to come in person to complete their research. In some cases, the Society’s staff may be able to locate an independent researcher for people who are not able to make an on-site visit.
  
  
• The 2-hour limit on staff research does not apply to congregations of the Stone-Campbell tradition or ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
  
  
• The preferred citation for any document or photograph published by the researcher is:

  [Name of File or Collection], Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Nashville, Tennessee.
  
  

• Members may borrow any book of which the Society has multiple copies. The member will be billed for postage and handling and will pay return postage. Non-members may borrow a second copy of a book through the Interlibrary Loan department at their local library for a charge of $3.50 per book, which must be paid in advance to Disciples of Christ Historical Society. The loan period is 1 month, with one renewal permitted.
  
  
• DCHS is open for research Monday-Friday, 9:00-4:00 with the exception of holidays and inclement weather.

Effective April 2007