Manuscripts

Manuscripts and Old Books Reference Manuscripts and Old Books Reference Section

This service is governed by the library’s internal regulations (art. 26 D.P.R. 5th July 1995, no. 417), approved in June 1998 by the Minister of Cultural and Environmental Heritage.

In this section, manuscripts, books printed prior to 1800, rare and precious works, indexes and microfilm reproductions of material relating to this room can all be read.

Access to the manuscripts, rare and precious books is granted to those over 18 years of age, on production of proof of identity and the following documentation:
- students on courses of study at University or equivalent level must provide an identity document and an introductory letter from the professor overseeing the research, specifying the subject, the relevant bibliographical details and the timescale within which the research is to be completed;
- scholars must provide an identity document and detailed information on the subject under study and the ultimate objectives of the research undertaken;
- University teachers, researchers and librarians must provide a document, including a photograph, proving their occupational status.

The works kept in the manuscript, incunabuli and rare books store are distributed every day from 8.40 to 13.30; outside these times and on Saturdays from 8.40 to 13.20 readers can study the material left in store or reserved by appointment.
The distribution of works taken from other storerooms takes place daily until 18.00, and Saturdays until 12.45. Each request must be submitted by the user on the appropriate form, which must be correctly filled in.
Four manuscripts can be ordered at any one time, with a maximum of eight. Normally no more than two manuscripts at a time will be released for study, but this may be varied, according to the merits of the case, at the discretion of the reference room assistant, and in response to such factors as the needs of the scholar and the type of material involved. Requests for miscellaneous manuscripts and unbound manuscripts are limited to four a day.

General library regulations apply to requests for the release of printed works.

In order to protect particularly rare and precious documents or those in a poor state of preservation, whenever reproductions are available the library will offer these in place of the originals, unless the reader can demonstrate the real necessity of access to the originals.

When the material requested is consigned to the reader, the signature of the borrower must be entered in the movements register kept by the reference room assistant, by way of receipt. The reader is responsible for the material until it is returned; in the case of absence, even temporary, the work must be returned to the custody of the assistant. Material entrusted to readers must not under any circumstances be taken out of the room.

Before leaving the library, the reader must return all the documents received but may ask for them to be kept aside for him over the following days. Such retention is limited to seven days and for no more than four volumes at a time. This service does not apply to works stored in the display cabinets of the manuscripts store-room.

A photographic reproduction service is offered to users of the library. Readers can submit their request on the appropriate request forms, which must be correctly compiled and handed in to the assistant in the reference room. The reproduction and use of artistic and historic heritage are governed by Law no 4 of 14.1.1993., by the regulations set out in D. M. no. 171 of 31.1.1994, and the Tariff Rates established by D.M. 8.4.1994.