Accessing the Aerial Photography Collection

The collection is not available on a walk-in basis. Patrons must submit an Aerial Photography Research Request to view prints or obtain scans. Once the request has been processed (3 - 5 business days), patrons are emailed a link where they can view and download the images. In person viewing of actual prints may be done by appointment. On the request, indicate you want to be contacted before the item is scanned. We will make an appointment with you when the photographs have been retrieved for viewing. Applicable research fees will be charged. 

While the collection is available for use by anyone, we charge research fees to non-UO patrons or UO patrons doing commercial research to  to defray the cost of providing access to this unique collection. Please contact us if you have questions about accessing and viewing the collection.

Academic Patron Request: Current students, faculty, and staff at the University of Oregon receive free research provided they are using the images for teaching or research related to their work at their institution. Requests may not be made on behalf of any other persons not entitled to the free research service.

Public Patron Request: General members of the public and Individuals working for private, state, or federal organizations will be charged research fees to help defray the cost of access and maintenance for the collection.

In-Library Use of Aerial Photography 

  1. Handling of the photographs will be done under the supervision of Library staff.
  2. Due to concerns about the fragility/irreplaceablity of the images, patrons are not allowed to scan, copy, or take flash photography of the images.
  3. In accordance with our published fee schedule, patrons not affiliated with the University of Oregon or patrons involved in research for commercial purposes will be required to pay a research fee to compensate for staff time spent locating and retrieving items from the collection.
  4. Patrons may request digital scans of some or all of an aerial photograph. They will be charged for scans in accordance with the published fee schedule.

Limitations to Publication, Display, and Distribution of Copies or Scans of Aerial Photographs

If you plan to publish, display, or distribute images of our materials, you must receive permission and you will be assessed a use fee. If you are charged a use fee, you will also receive an explicit statement of the permissible uses. Use the Aerial Photography Research Service's Permissions Request Form. Any additional or altered use requires a new negotiation of the rights and the use fee. Use fees are our source of income for preserving and providing access to our collections. For more information about permission requests and allowable uses, see Special Collections' guidelines for Image and Permission Requests.

Items used must be attributed in a caption, citation, or other appropriate method. Guidelines for attribution will be provided in the statement of permissible uses.

Images in the Aerial Photography Collection are subject to copyright laws. If an individual or entity intends to use copyrighted material in excess of fair use as determined by U.S. copyright law (title 17, United States Code), it is incumbent upon the researcher(s) to seek permission from the copyright holder(s) prior to use. Failure to do so may constitute copyright infringement.

University of Oregon Libraries Aerial Photography Collection includes materials in the following broad copyright categories:

  1. Items in the public domain.
  2. Items for which the copyright is owned by the University of Oregon. Contact Aerial Photography Research Service staff for permission to use.
  3. Items for which the copyright holder is an entity other than the University of Oregon. It is the responsibility of the user to determine copyright status and seek permission from the rights owner(s) where appropriate.

Limitations on Images Delivered Electronically by the Aerial Photography Research Service

  1. You may store your images indefinitely, derive new data from them, and give the photographs to your clients. Copies of the photos may be included in environmental site assessment reports and other research products paid for by your client. We do not consider this to be "publishing" the photos.
  2. If you would like publish a photograph in a book or online, please contact the Map and Aerial Photography Library to negotiate a publication license for our imagery.
  3. While the digital images provided are yours to keep, the University maintains copyright over the electronic versions and some of the source imagery.