Densho content can only be used for research and educational purposes. Content is only to be used in context. It is also a requirement that users respect the dignity and privacy of interviewees.

Yes. To view examples of citations for different kinds of content from the Archive, see "How To Cite Densho".

It depends. You do not need Densho's permission if you can answer yes to all of the following questions.

• Is the use for either personal or limited use in teaching, scholarship or research?
• Is the portion that uses Densho materials small in relationship to the project?
• Is the use non-commercial?

If you answered "no" to any of the questions above, you need to get permission from Densho to use our materials.

It is free if you are able to download the materials and do not need Densho's permission for use (see above). There are service and handling fees if you need Densho to research, identify, duplicate or send materials to you. There are also licensing fees if you want to publish or distribute Densho materials. Densho's general fee schedule is listed below. For fees not listed, contact Densho at info@densho.org.

• Research costs - $90 per hour (staff time) billed in 30 minute units
• Processing costs - $90 per hour (staff time) billed in 30 minute units, plus material costs
• Postage and Handling - Actual postage plus $10 handling charge
• Licensing and Use
• Image - $25 per image for non-profit use
• Video - $100 per minute for non-profit use

The first step is to fill out and send us a Request for Permission and Materials Form (download below). After we receive a completed request, we will create and send you a Restricted Use Agreement and an invoice. When we receive the signed Restricted Use Agreement and payment, we will send our written permission along with the requested materials.

Please allow 1-2 weeks to process the requested materials.

Download Request for Permission and Materials Form [pdf] [word]
Download Sample Restricted Use Agreement [pdf]

No. Registration is completely free thanks to the support of the many organizations, companies, and individuals who generously donate to Densho.

Yes, but please ask your parent or guardian for permission. If you are under 18, you will not be able to sign up for the Densho regular mailing list.

Remember that you should never give information about yourself to anyone without letting your parents know first. To learn more about how to protect yourself on-line, see the US FTC's KidzPrivacy website.

Yes. We ask that you notify us beforehand, and if you could share some details about how you plan to use the website we'd really appreciate it! We are very interested in hearing about your experience with the materials so that we can serve educators better.

Yes. Your email address serves as the main way for us to contact you.

Some of the foundations and governmental organizations that provide grants to support Densho require us to show that we are serving certain geographic regions. However, we only use this information in aggregate; we do not share any personally-identifying information with our grantors or anyone else. For example, in a grant application, we might say, "Densho has more than 1000 registered users in Whatcom County, Washington." For further details about how Densho collects and uses information related to your account, see our Privacy Policy.

Densho does not sell, rent, swap or otherwise disclose any Personal Information to third parties. If Densho is required to disclose information collected from our members in response to any legal process issued by a court, Densho will comply with the legal process after giving notice to any members affected by it unless a court order prohibits such notice. Our full Privacy Policy and Terms of Use are located here. The Archive Usage Application is available as a downloadable PDF here.

Ordinarily, a Densho staff member will review and approve your application within 1 - 2 business days. If you do not receive a confirmation email within several working days of submitting your application, please contact us. Some email spam filters will incorrectly identify the welcome message as unsolicited email; please check the spam folder or logs in your email program before contacting us.