Opening hours
The Reading Room is open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.
Access on Mondays can be facilitated strictly by appointment only (email info@iarc.ie or phone +353 1 6633040 to make a booking).
Admission
Admission to the Reading Room is strictly at the discretion of the IAA staff, and the IAA reserves the right to refuse admission to the Reading Room.
Registration of first-time readers
Readers are required to register to access material. To register as a reader you must be 18 years old or older. Younger researchers must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, teacher or primary carer. Readers may register in the Reading Room or through the online registration form. Readers who have registered previously but have forgotten their reader number should email info@iarc.ie.
Readers should bring their reader’s tickets with them on all subsequent visits, as the reader number on the ticket is required to request reserved items from the IAA collections.
Reader’s tickets are non-transferable and are not forms of identification. The possession of a reader’s ticket does not entitle the bearer to entry to the IAA.
Group visits
Visits by groups of 5 or more must be booked at least two days in advance. Bookings can be made by telephone or email (info@iarc.ie).
To respect IAA staff and fellow readers, and to protect original archival material which is unique and can be fragile, the following regulations are in place.
Coats and bags
Coats and bags must be left in the lockers provided in the basement cloakroom.
Locating material in the IAA
The IAA catalogue is accessible online.
In addition to the catalogue, other finding aids include the card catalogue (in the process of being phased-out but still relevant for certain categories of material) and individual collection lists.
If you have trouble finding material of relevance to your area of interest, please ask the staff member on duty.
Accessing material in the IAA
IAA holdings may be consulted only in the Reading Room.
To view material held by the IAA, other than material held in the Reading Room, readers must complete a call slip. Call slips are available in the Reading Room. One item may be requested on each call slip. Only 5 call slips may be submitted at any one time.
In the case of drawings, manuscripts, reserved-access photographs and some other categories of material, items requested before 1 pm will be available at 2.30 pm. Material requested after 1 pm will be available at 10 am the following morning.
Pamphlets, reserved-access books and press-cuttings files requested on call slips will be made available in the Reading Room as soon as is practicable, but please note that waiting periods of up to one hour may be experienced.
Material may be requested by email to info@iarc.ie. Up to five items may be ordered at one time. Include the reference number (available from the online catalogue) and description for each item. A confirmation email will be issued to acknowledge your request. Please wait for receipt of this confirmation before visiting the Reading Room to access material.
Copying material in the IAA
Members of the public wishing to make copies of material held by the IAA may do so within the parameters of the relevant copyright legislation using personal devices including cameras (digital or analogue), phones or other computer devices with cameras. Photocopying facilities are not available. Scanners or other electronic copying devices which touch the surface of the material being copied are not allowed. Flash photography and the use of tripods are also not allowed. Material being copied must remain on the Reading Room tables.
No copying will be allowed until the relevant copyright declaration form has been completed and signed, and the relevant fee paid. The fee will be €1 per item copied. An item is defined as:
1 drawing
1 photograph
1 mss file
1 press cuttings file
1 pamphlet
1 journal article
Not more than 20% of a book.
All copying is at the discretion of the staff member on duty. The IAA reserves the right to refuse permission to any individual to copy any material in its collection.
Where an individual does not have a personal copying device available to them, they may use a digital camera available at the Reading Room desk. Fees applicable will be identical to those which apply for the use of personal devices. Images taken using the IAA’s camera will be emailed within five working days. Please note that IAA staff are NOT PERMITTED to take copies using the IAA’s camera or readers’ own copying devices.
Hi-resolution digital copies of material held by the IAA can be ordered. These are supplied at a resolution of 300dpi in JPEG format. Charges vary depending on the nature and size of the material to be scanned. The relevant scale of fees is available in the Reading Room. Orders for digital copies take two weeks to process.
Using material in the IAA
Readers are responsible for all items issued to them until they have returned them to the Reading Room desk.
Restrictions controlling the use of material will be enforced on conservation and security grounds. Archival documents are irreplaceable and must be treated with respect.
Pencils only may be used in the Reading Room. Pencils and pencil sharpeners are available at the Reading Room desk. No pens, glue, ink, correction fluid, scissors, or any other substance or equipment which could damage material held in the IAA should be brought by readers into the Reading Room.
Tracing is strictly prohibited, as is the use of rulers, dividers etc to take measurements. Writing materials must not be placed on any book, manuscript, map, plan or drawing. Readers should not lean on maps, plans or drawings and should take care unrolling rolled items. No archival material should be placed on the floor.
No markers or place-holders should be inserted into books. Unopened or uncut books should be brought to the attention of the staff member on duty.
Readers are requested to keep photographs, documents and drawings in their numbered order. To avoid misplacement of photographs, readers are asked to take only one box file at a time from the shelves and to be careful to replace correctly photographs which have been removed from box files. Notices detailing the correct order are to be found on the inside lid of each box file.
No smoking is allowed in the Reading Room or any other part of the IAA.
Food and drink are not allowed in the Reading Room. Chewing gum is strictly prohibited.
The use of mobile telephones is prohibited in the Reading Room.
The use of personal stereos and recorders is prohibited in the Reading Room. Laptop computers may be used and power sockets for same are located in the Reading Room desks.
Silence should be observed in the Reading Room. Readers behaving in a manner likely to disturb others will be required to leave.
