Digital reproductions of University Collections
What we will do:
We will provide staff, students and members of the public with digital reproductions of items from the University’s collections for research, teaching, outreach and engagement, exhibition, documentation, conservation, individual or commercial purposes.
We will:
- provide digital reproductions of collection items where appropriate
- offer professional-quality images or quick reference snaps based on needs
- supply contextual information to support research or publication (where possible)
- assess requests and provide a quote within 10 working days
- complete accepted orders within 20 working days
- include updated timelines in quotes if conservation work is required before imaging
- permit personal photography in the Reading Room with staff approval.
If an item requires conservation work before it can be imaged, this may extend the timeframe—an updated estimate will be included in the quote if applicable.
How this will be delivered:
Requests are managed by the University Collections team via email to unicolls@st-andrews.ac.uk. The following details are required:
- details of the item
- your status (e.g. student, staff, external)
- type of service required (e.g. professional photography, quick snap, expedited delivery).
- You may be asked to explain how the image will be used (if copyright or sensitivity applies). A fee may apply based on the service; full cost information is available on the University Collections webpages.
Important information:
When someone pays for a new image to be created, the fee contributes to the time and expertise required to produce it—but the image itself remains part of the University’s collections. For this reason, newly created images may later be made available online for others to access. Payment supports the creation of the image, not ownership of it. You can see material already produced on our online catalogue.