The Linda Hall Library is excited to offer a new benefit to all its current and former research fellows! Beginning on November 1, 2024, alumni of the Library’s fellowship program will be able to request free scans from our collections in accordance with our in-house digitization policies. By taking this step, the Library seeks to position itself as a lifelong resource for scholars investigating the relationship between science, technology, and society.

This new arrangement draws inspiration from the Library’s virtual fellowship program, which provides remote research support to scholars who are unable to travel to Kansas City. Just like our virtual fellows, alumni of the fellowship program can now submit up to 7 digitization requests per week. Each request corresponds to a single monograph, journal issue, government document, or technical report—or a specific chapter, article, or section from one of those items. Materials over 95 years old or published by the federal government are in the public domain and may be digitized in their entirety. Due to copyright restrictions, the Library can only digitize a limited portion of more recent publications.

Former fellows must maintain an active patron account to request scans from the Linda Hall Library’s collection. They may reactivate their account at any time by emailing reference@lindahall.org and indicating the academic year when they received their fellowships. After that, they may log into the Library’s online catalog (Primo) and submit digitization requests by following the instructions on our website. Once the scan is complete, typically within 3 to 5 business days, they will receive an email with a PDF attachment or a link to the material.

Since 2011, the Linda Hall Library has awarded more than 150 fellowships to talented researchers from around the world. Benjamin Gross, Vice President for Research and Scholarship, says that extending digitization privileges to former fellows will strengthen their ties to the Library. “Granting scholars the ability to request digital scans after the conclusion of their fellowships encourages them to keep exploring our collections,” Gross explained. “It also serves as a reminder that they are still members of the international research community that we have built together over the past several years.”

The Linda Hall Library is currently accepting applications for its 2025-26 fellowships. Click here to learn more about the program or submit a research proposal.