Photographing a document using a smartphone camera mount.
Imaging of documents using a hand-held camera, smartphone, tablet, or laptop is permitted in the reading rooms. It is important to remember that when imaging documents, good handling takes priority, so please be aware of the following:
- Ensure you have room to accommodate your document and you have all handling aids needed.
- Work carefully through the document, turning pages individually, respecting its vulnerabilities and adjusting handling aids as needed.
- Always retain the document order – if you require assistance with tags, please see a member of staff.
- If a document is difficult to remove from or return to its housing, or is difficult to handle, please ask a member of staff for assistance.
- Dedicated camera stands with a standard screw-in mount are available in our reading rooms. Universal adapters that enable smartphones or tablets to use these camera stands are also permitted. We do not have enough camera stands for every visitor to our reading rooms. You are more likely to be guaranteed a camera stand if you book your visit in advance.
- Flash photography is not permitted in the reading rooms, so this function must be switched off prior to use.
Devices that scan images, have an integral or external stand, or are extendable (e.g. a tripod or selfie stick) are not permitted. However, USB cameras are permitted if they conform to the following specifications:
- They have a single freestanding column of up to 60cm (tripods or mounts that touch the document surface are not permitted).
- A preservation barrier is placed between the stand/column and the document.
- Any integral light source, flash or sound function is disabled.
- Cables between the camera and the image storage device do not touch the surface of, or impede handling of, the document.
For further information, watch our guidance video on how to photograph documents safely.