Research Library Fees and Policies

Onsite Research User Fees

  • HSCC Members – Free
  • Non-Member—Wednesday through Saturday— $5.00 per day

Fee for Basic Search

The fee for a basic search by a library volunteer is $25 for non-members and $16 for Society members and includes up to 10 photocopies. In response to a clearly written request about a person, family, community, etc., the volunteer will conduct this basic search for up to one hour. Research is limited to resources in the direct custody of the Society. Examples include a request to locate and copy an obituary, a search of a family history, cemetery or church record, or for Society staff to prepare a research proposal for an on-site visit or for an extended staff search.

Sorry, but the Society does not have governmental records such as deeds, wills, birth certificates and marriage licenses in its collection. We may have resources to assist in searching for such documents.

If research reveals that additional photocopies of materials may be of interest, staff will describe the items and provide the cost for copies. Payment and a completed Research Request Form must accompany all requests before work can begin. Requests are handled in the order in which they are received; results are usually mailed in 10 to 12 weeks.

Click here for a printable research request form. 

Extended Search

If the HSCC staff determines that a request will require more than an hour to complete, the staff will prepare a proposal outlining a suggested research plan. Examples include the necessity of using a wide variety of sources in an attempt to compile a family tree or transcribing fragile records that cannot be photocopied. The fee for an extended search is $20 per hour for non-members and $12 per hour for Society members and includes up to 10 copies per hour of research. If research reveals that additional photocopies of materials may be of interest, the researcher will provide a description of the items and the projected cost for copies. Research results are usually mailed in 6 to 8 weeks, and the fee structure below applies to the cost for copies.

Special Research

HSCC will consider research requests for a search of records not in the custody of the Society on a case-by-case basis. Examples include requesting photocopies of wills, estate records, deeds, marriage licenses, and church records that are held by other repositories within Carroll County. In most cases, the hourly fee structure will be the same as for a Basic or an Extended Search. However, any mileage, parking fees, and the fees charged by another agency for photocopies, research assistance, etc. will be added to the cost for services.

Photocopy Fees

The HSCC charges the following for copies:

  • Legal or letter size photocopies – $0.25 per page
  • Ledger size photocopies – $0.50 per page
  • Letter size copies from microfilm – $0.50 per page
  • Print-outs from computers – $0.25 per page

Some materials in the Society’s collection may not be photocopied because of the fragile nature of the material. These sources, like manuscripts, diaries, and newspapers, may instead be transcribed upon request and if the item is of reasonable length.

The Society complies with U.S. Copyright laws and will not knowingly provide copies in violation of said laws.

Photographic Copy Fees

The Society can furnish copies of many of the photographs in its collection and charges the following fees:

  • 8.5 x 11 is $35.00
  • 11 x 14 is $45.00
  • 16 x 20 is $55.00
  • 20 x 30 is $85.00

Please email info@hsccmd.org if you would like to know more about our historic images.

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