The staff of the Edgar Cayce Foundation endeavor to make the rare documents and books in our care available to researchers and to preserve the information they hold for future generations.

The researcher is required to read and sign this Research Agreement before materials will be made available. By signing this form, the user agrees to observe the following guidelines:

1. All users of the archive must register by signing the Research Logbook daily.
2. Personal belongings are to be kept separate from the research materials. The Foundation staff reserves the right to search bags.
3. No food or drinks are permitted in the research areas.
4. Collections must be kept in their present arrangement; loose pages will stay in order if turned like pages in a book.
5. Please observe a “one box, one folder” rule. That is, have only one box at a time open on your table and only one file folder or envelope out of that box.
6. Users will be required to wear gloves (supplied by Foundation staff) while handling rare books, photographs and other archival materials.
7. All materials must be handled with care; they must not be leaned on, written on, folded or otherwise handled in any way likely to damage them.
8. Do not insert sticky notes (Post-it notes), or paper clips, as these will damage the materials. To mark your place, use papers provided by the Foundation staff.
9. Please take any notes in pencil, the use of ink is prohibited.
10. Theft, destruction or mutilation of the materials is a crime. Please report any damage or misfiling observed in the materials to a member of staff.
11. Photocopying may be permitted, if it is in accordance with donor agreements and copyright restrictions, and the item is not fragile, exceptionally valuable, or too large. When allowed, it is limited to single copies for the user’s reference use only. Ask a member of staff for permission and assistance.
12. These materials are provided for reference use only. The user agrees to publish no portion of them without the written permission of the Foundation and assumes sole responsibility for any infringement of the literary rights, copyrights, or other rights that pertain to these materials; the view of authors are not necessarily the views of the E.C.F. or the Association for Research and Enlightenment.
13. The user agrees to give the Foundation a complimentary copy of any publication relying heavily on its collections; supplementary materials compiled during research and/or other documentation that verifies a reading is of utmost value to the case files and something Gladys Davis Turner emphasized in her contacts with researchers, recipients and their families.
14. Unless journal styles require otherwise, citations should follow this format: Identification of item, Collection Name, container and file-folder location, Edgar Cayce Foundation.
15. Photography or videography inside the Edgar Cayce Foundation without written permission from the archivist is prohibited.
16. Remember that the members of staff are here to help. Please let us know if we may assist you.