Research Policies

The Little Compton Historical Society maintains an archive of materials pertaining to the history of Little Compton. We are pleased to share those materials with the public by appointment when the condition of the materials and staff time permits.

All Research Visits

• ALL RESEARCH REQUIRES AN APPOINTMENT
  • Appointments should be made a minimum of five business days in advance.
    • lchistory@littlecompton.org
    • 401-635-4035
  • Before making an appointment
    • please review our on-line resources at littlecompton.org
    • please note that all of our genealogical resources have been moved to the Brownell Library on the Little Compton Commons. 401-635-8562   http://brownell-libraryri.org/
  • Due to our small size and limited budget we do not employ an archivist or a librarian. Our staff and volunteers will try to accommodate your request during normal business hours, however at certain times their work load does not allow for research appointments.
• Reproducing Materials
  • Reproductions of materials are intended for one-time, personal use. If information or images are to be used for commercial purposes, fees will apply. Please discuss with staff.
  • All materials should be credited: Little Compton Historical Society
• Protecting our Resources
  • All bags must be stored away from the research area.
  • Pencils only.
  • Materials must be treated gently. Our staff/volunteers will be happy to assist you if you have any questions or concerns.
  • Digital photographs are allowed at no cost.
  • Self-copying of materials may be allowed by the staff depending on the condition of the materials. Self-copying is 25 cents per page.

Standard Research Visit

• An appointment is necessary.
• Staff/volunteers will provide you with access to the standard research materials available in our reception room.
• Staff/volunteers may provide you with up to 15 minutes of assistance. Any further assistance will require an hourly rate of $45 per hour, minimum of 1 hour.

Archival Research

• An appointment is necessary.
• A $45 per hour fee applies for all dedicated staff time. Minimum of 1 hour. (You will not be charged for the time you work independently with the materials.) Students and non-profit organizations may be exempt. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis.
• Before your appointment:
  • You must review the available materials using our on-line collection. littlecompton.org
  • You must provide the staff/volunteer with specific collections numbers for the items you wish to see.
• Only one item may be viewed at a time.
• Some items may not be viewed due to condition.

On-Site Research Consulting

• A staff member or well-trained volunteer will search our available materials for information pertaining to your subject and will share copies of materials with you.
• Fee: $45 per hour, 25 cents per page or digital image
• All research will be conducted diligently, but there is no guarantee that it will produce results. Fees still apply even if there are no results.

Off-Site Research Consulting

• Fee: $75 per hour, plus travel time, plus mileage.
• All research will be conducted diligently, but there is no guarantee that it will produce results. Fees still apply even if there are no results.