Discusses issue of photocopying of unpublished personal papers by archives and manuscript repositories at request of individual researchers. Historical rationale for common-law protection, support for statutory law protection, ambiguities in fair-use provisions, effects on photocopying, survey of manuscript repositories, and dissatisfaction with…

Comments on court cases dealing with copyrighted materials of special interest to librarians highlight Williams and Wilkins case, Sony case dealing with videocopying, computer programs and databases, government and legal materials in public domain, musical works, and four factors of Section 107 (fair use) of 1976 Copyright Law. (109 references)…