Q: How can I access the Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty collection?

A: Full information on accessing the collection can be found on the Access page. Access is limited to parts of the collection. Interested parties are advised to contact Anatol Shmelev, the project archivist, to determine current availability before coming to the Hoover Archives.

Q: How can I donate materials related to this collection to the Hoover Institution?

A: The Hoover Library and Archives collect primary source materials of permanent research value. The types of documents we collect include diaries, memoirs, unpublished manuscripts, autobiographies, important correspondence and memoranda, leaflets, pamphlets reports, studies, photographs, and other material that contribute to a better understanding of historical events and major public figures. We are particularly interested in materials that broaden or fill gaps in our knowledge of the work of RFE/RL. We do not collect copies of documents readily available elsewhere.

Q: Who holds copyright?

RFE/RL, Inc. retains all of its copyright rights in the broadcast archives, corporate and other records and historical materials that it has donated to the Hoover Institution; however, some of the documents and other historical materials in the RFE/RL collection are in the public domain and may be reproduced and used in any way. Other parties may own copyright rights in certain other materials in the collection, and those materials may be used only with the permission of the copyright holder.

The hoover Institution issues a warning concerning copyright restrictions to every researcher who requests copies of documents. The status of copyright rights in a particular document or other material must be ascertained on a case-by-case basis, depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding creation of the work, including the year it was created, the location of its creation, whether it was published, etc. Although copyright laws are under constant redefinition in the courts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the researcher to properly use copyrighted materials. The staff generally cannot answer questions regarding the use of copyrighted materials, unless the materials in question clearly are in the public domain.

If you would like to discuss a possible donation of historical papers, please contact:

Brad Bauer
Associate Archivist for Collection Development
Hoover Institution
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-6010
USA
Tel (650) 723-3428
Fax (650) 723-3445
E-mail: bauer@hoover.stanford.edu