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Using the Library

Contacting us

Visiting the Library

Conditions for visitors

Photocopying and photography

Achives - ordering copies and photographs


Contacting us

Library, Art & Archives
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Surrey TW9 3AE
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5414
Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5430

Email: library@kew.org

Certain collections have separate email addresses and telephone numbers. Follow the links to see more information about these collections.

Illustrations: tel: 020 8332 5415, email: illus@kew.org

Archives: tel: 020 8332 5417, email: archives@kew.org

Millennium Seed Bank Library: tel: 020 8332 4178, email: msblib@kew.org


Visiting the library

The library is open to bona fide researchers by appointment. Please use the information about our collections to ascertain whether we have the information you require.

A written application to visit is usually required and this can be sent via fax, email or letter to the relevant address above.

Opening hours: 9am - 5pm, Monday-Friday

The library participates in the M25 Libraries Access Scheme. Staff from higher education institutions across south-east England may use the library on a reference basis. For details of the Scheme, please see the M25 website.

Libraries & Learners in London: the library provides reference access to anyone with a London borough public library card. For more information, please see the London Libraries website.

Location: for details on how to get to the Royal Botanic Gardens see Kew's visitor information pages. The Main Library is located in the Herbarium building off Kew Green to the right of the Main Gates to the gardens. The nearest public transport station is Kew Bridge (overland rail). There is very limited parking alongside Kew Green.

The Millennium Seed Bank Library is located at Wakehurst Place at Ardingly, near Haywards Heath in West Sussex.


Conditions for visitors consulting Library, Art & Archives

Please read these conditions before your visit.

When planning your visit, please consider your personal belongings, as we have no secure area in which to deposit coats and bags.  If you have a mobile phone or other noisy equipment we ask you to turn it off so that other people are not disturbed.

Please do not bring equipment and materials into Library, Art & Archives that could damage the collections, such as fountain pens, bottles of ink, paints, hand-held electronic scanners, camera flashlights, food and drink. You may use a laptop computer and the use of digital cameras is permitted without the use of flash.

Library, Art & Archives materials are more fragile than they seem, and must be handled with great care. Turn pages carefully (never use a licked finger!) and use protective gloves if asked to by library staff. Use book-supports when necessary; books and archive volumes can break if forced open or forcibly flattened.

  • Do not write on, mark, alter or re-arrange any items in the Library, Art & Archives collections without permission from library staff.
  • Archives documents can only be used under supervision.
  • Use pencils not pens - ask the duty librarian if you need to borrow a pencil.
  • Do not put pads or paper on top of Library, Art & Archives items to write on.  Tracing is not permitted.
  • Close books or cover items when you have finished consulting them to protect them from light, which can cause fading, discolouration and photo-degradation.  
  • Visitors may not borrow Library, Art & Archives materials for use away from the library.

Photocopying and photography

Photocopying

Items from the Library can usually be photocopied for users provided that the material will not be damaged and that copying does not infringe copyright.

Photocopy request forms are available in the Main Library and in the Archives and incorporate a copyright declaration which must be signed. Copying will be done as soon as possible but larger orders may take longer to fulfill.

Photocopying may damage items, thus denying access to the material for future users. We reserve the right to refuse requests for copying for reasons such as: the request is in breach of copyright (more than 10% from a book or more than one article from an issue of a periodical); the item is too large or heavy; the item is too old (pre-1801); the item is in poor condition; the item is too tightly bound; the request is for an unreasonable amount of copying.

If you are in any doubt please ask at the Main Library Enquiry Desk or phone 020 8332 5414 or e-mail: library@kew.org

CHARGES

Books, pamphlets, periodicals and other printed materials:

For collection: 30p per image plus VAT

Postal requests:
UK and other EU countries: minimum charge £5.00 for up to 10 images (includes VAT, postage & packing, and handling fee). For more than 10 images: 30p per image plus postage plus VAT.
Countries outside the EU: minimum charge £10.00 for up to 10 images (includes postage & packing and handling fee). For more than 10 images: 30p per image plus postage.

Archives - Ordering copies and photographs

We can provide copies of certain materials in the Archives according to copyright regulations. However, please note that our preservation policy is not to provide copies from bound archival volumes, and we will assess each item individually. However, as many documents have been microfilmed, we can therefore provide paper copies from the microfilm. Our charges are as follows:

0.35p per A4 page of photocopying.

0.40p per printout page of microfilm. Minimum UK charge £5 + P&P & VAT. Minimum international charge £10 + P&P. No VAT is charged outside the EU. We reserve the right to turn down large orders if necessary.

Prices for digital photos (up to 20 - supplied on CD) taken with in-house, hand-held camera (not suitable for material to be published):

1-3 images

£10.00 + VAT

4-10 images

£20.00 + VAT

11-20 images

£35.00 + VAT

Compact Disk

£1.00 inc. VAT

Postage and packing will be added to all orders. VAT will not be charged to overseas customers outside the EU.

We may not always be able to digitise archive material; this depends on size, binding and condition of the item.

Costs of printouts of images already on CD (up to 20):
          A4 size printing on normal paper £2 +VAT and Postage
          A3 size printing on normal paper £4 +VAT and Postage
          A4 size printing on photographic paper £4 +VAT and Postage
          A3 size printing on photographic paper £8 +VAT and Postage

For more than 20 images, or images requiring high resolution, this will be done by our Photographic Studio.

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