(a) When directed by the appropriate regional administrator or library director, the following procedures shall be observed in regional records services facility and Presidential library archival research rooms where original documents are used. These procedures are in addition to the procedures specified elsewhere in this part.

(b) Researchers must present a valid researcher identification card to the guard or research room attendant on entering the room. All researchers are required to sign each day the research room registration sheet at the entrance to the research room. Where instructed to do so, researchers also sign out when leaving the research room for the day. Researchers are not required to sign in or out when leaving the area temporarily or at the end of the day.

(c) Researchers may not bring into the research room overcoats, raincoats, hats, and similar apparel, and briefcases, suitcases, daypacks, purses, or similar containers of personal property. In facilities where NARA provides notepaper and notecards, researchers also may not bring into the research room notebooks, notepaper, notecards, folders or other containers for papers. In facilities where NARA provides a self-service copier, researchers may not bring into the research room personal copying equipment including personal paper-to-paper copiers. These items may be stored at no cost in lockers or other storage facilities in the NARA facility. The following exceptions may be granted:

(1) Hand-held wallets and coin purses for carrying currency, coins, credit cards, keys, drivers licenses and other identification cards may be brought into research rooms, but are subject to inspection when the researcher enters or leaves the room. The guard or research room attendant shall judge whether the wallet or purse may be considered small for purposes of this section;

(2) Notes, references, lists of documents to be consulted, and other materials may be admitted if the director, or the senior attendant on duty in the research room determines they are essential to a researcher's work requirements. Materials will be presented to the attendant when the researcher enters the research room. If the materials are approved for admission, they may be stamped to indicate that they are the researcher's property;

(3) Typewriters, personal computers, tape recorders, and hand-held cameras may be admitted by the guard or research room attendant provided that they are inspected, approved, and tagged prior to admittance. For a regional records services facility, the regional administrator, the director or other supervisor having responsibility for research room operations in a facility, or the senior attendant on duty will review the determination made by the guard or research room attendant if requested to do so by the researcher. In a Presidential library, the director, or the senior attendant on duty in the research room will review the determination made by the guard or research room attendant if requested to do so by the researcher. In facilities where personal paper-to-paper copiers and scanners are permitted, the researcher must obtain prior written approval from the facility director to bring in the copier or scanner. The request to bring a personal copier or scanner should state the space and power consumption requirements and the intended period of use; and

(4) Notepaper and notecards provided by the National Archives and electrostatic copies made on copying machines in NARA research rooms which are marked with the statement “Reproduced at the National Archives” may be brought back into the research room on subsequent visits but must be presented on entry to the guard or research room attendant for inspection.

(d) NARA may furnish specially marked lined and unlined notepaper and notecards, without charge, to researchers for use in the research rooms. Unused notepaper and notecards should be returned to the research room attendant at the end of the day.

(e) The personal property of all researchers, including notes, electrostatic copies, typewriter cases, tape recorders, cameras, personal computers, and other personal property, will be inspected before removal from the research room. Guards and research room attendants may request that a member of the research room staff examine such personal items prior to their removal from the research room.

(f) Researchers may use NARA self-service copiers or authorized personal paper-to-paper copiers to copy documents in accordance with NARA document handling instructions and after review of the documents by the research room attendant to determine their suitability for copying. The director or the senior archivist on duty in the research room will review the determination of suitability if requested by the researcher. The following types of documents are not suitable for copying on a self-service or personal copier:

(1) Bound archival volumes;

(2) Documents fastened together by staples, clips, acco fasteners, rivets, or similar fasteners, where folding or bending the document may cause damage;

(3) Documents larger than the glass copy plate of the copier;

(4) Documents with uncancelled security classification markings;

(5) Documents with legal restrictions on copying; and

(6) Documents which, in the judgement of the research room attendant, are in poor physical condition or which may be subject to possible damage if copied.