n.an element of archival description that conveys information about the nature and duration of limitations on the availability of an archival resource to researchers or conveys the lack of such limitationsEAD 2002, 28<accessrestrict> Conditions Governing Access ¶ Description: ¶ Information about conditions that affect the availability of the materials being described. May indicate the need for an appointment or the nature of restrictions imposed by the donor, legal statute, repository, or other agency. May also indicate the lack of restrictions. ¶ Do not confuse with Conditions Governing Use <userestrict>, which designates information about limitations on the use of the described materials after access has been granted.DACS 2019, 47–48Give information about any restrictions on access to the unit being described (or parts thereof) as a result of the nature of the information therein or statutory/contractual requirements. As appropriate, specify the details of the restriction, including the length of the period of closure or the date when it will be lifted; the authority that imposed and enforces the conditions governing access; contact information for the person or office to whom the restriction may be appealed; authorized users; and so on. If there are no restrictions, state that fact.Yale 2021Conditions Governing Access ¶ Required at the collection level, and at lower levels where restricted material is present ¶ Processors should follow their repository’s existing guidelines for providing information about access restrictions due to the content of the materials being described. For born digital materials, processors should also provide information about the following access conditions, as appropriate: ¶ Access and use of born digital material in the reading room[.] ¶ Access and use of physical digital media[.] ¶ The availability of use copies of born digital material[.]CDL 2024, 5Conditions Governing Access note ¶ <accessrestrict> ¶ Note particular access restrictions, even if the collection has no access restrictions. In the latter case, use the text “Collection open for research” or a similar statement.Reuther Library 2024Conditions Governing Access notes contain a succinct statement regarding any access restrictions to the materials being described. Access resrictions [sic] may be the result of agreements with the donor, institutional policy, or the sensitive nature of the materials. The note should specify the details of the restriction, indicate the specific materials to which the restriction applies (e.g., the entire collection, a particular series, a particular box, etc.) and, if applicable, the duration of the restriction or the date on which the restriction will be lifted.
