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| NEW JERSEY STATE ARCHIVES December 2005 Under the terms of the depository agreement between the State Archives, Division of Archives and Records Management, and the Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey, the general public is granted access to the deposited records in accordance with established standards for the proper handling of archival materials and the State Archives’ “Regulations for Patrons.” This means that under normal circumstances, Archives patrons will use microfilm whenever available to avoid handling of original materials. The Council has authorized the Archives, at the professional discretion of its staff, to restrict or limit public access to any materials that are in delicate condition and/or pending conservation treatment or reformatting. In light of these considerations, access to the various components of the West Jersey Proprietors’ deposit will be administered as noted below. Decisions with regard to photocopying of unfilmed materials will be at the discretion of the staff. Large Parchments: The texts of most or all of the large parchment documents are recorded in the Secretary of State’s colonial deed books and/or the published New Jersey Archives series. Examination of the original manuscripts will be permitted only when there is a compelling justification for viewing the original script, and only with the express permission of the Chief of Archives, the Director, or the Deputy Director, Division of Archives and Records Management, following an interview with the requestor. Bound Volumes: The majority of bound volumes are available on microfilm. Strictly supervised access to unfilmed original volumes, or specific pages of filmed volumes in the case of unreadable microfilm, may be granted if, in the professional judgment of the State Archives staff, the condition of the volume is such that careful handling will not cause damage. The State Archives intends to make high-quality microfilm of all the West Jersey volumes available to the public as soon as is practicable. Maps: The State Archives staff has produced a preliminary inventory of the West Jersey Proprietors’ maps, which may also include drawings and blueprints produced by various surveyors general and not related to the business of the Proprietors. Since the condition of many of the maps has yet to be determined, access decisions relating to these materials will be made by Archives staff on a case-by-case basis depending upon the condition of the specific map requested. Loose Papers: Considering that the loose papers (including surveys and warrants) are largely unorganized and lacking an itemized inventory at this time, access to these materials will be generally restricted until detailed arrangement and description can be completed. Such materials will be filmed, imaged or otherwise made available as processing and/or reformatting is completed.
Joseph
R. Klett Director, Division of Archives & Records Management
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