Controlling Access to and Use of Online Cultural Collections: A Survey of U.S. Archives, Libraries and Museums for IMLS
This report describes the results of an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded study to investigate the use of technological or policy tools to control patron access to or use of digital collections of cultural materials created by U.S. archives, libraries and museums. The technological and policy tools serve primarily to control copying or other reuses of digital materials. These collections include digital surrogates of cultural materials such as historic photographs, books, and manuscripts, audio files of music and oral histories, fine art and design images, maps, and physical archival and museum objects. Other examples include born digital files such as digital thesis and dissertations, GIS files, natural and social science data sets, or born-digital folkloric audio and video collections.
Kristin R. Eschenfelder, “Controlling Access to and Use of Online Cultural Collections: A Survey of U.S. Archives, Libraries and Museums for IMLS,” Copyright Cortex, accessed October 18, 2026, https://copyright-cortex.org/policy-evidence/controlling-access-to-use-of-online-cultural-collections-a-survey-of-us-archives-libraries-museums-for-imls.