Access to documents: on-site consultation

To ensure proper management of consultations and equitable access to documents – which are often stored off-site and require specific logistical arrangements – the number of units that can be requested at once is limited.
You may select up to 10 archival units / physical containers (files, sub-files, boxes, tubes, binders…) per request.

Identify the smallest available units for consultation
We recommend identifying the smallest available units for consultation. Some files are very large and may contain many sub-files: consulting them can take several hours. Use the inventory to locate the most relevant unit by checking the “Extent and medium” field, or ask the archivists for guidance.

Access to documents held at Acm-EPFL is free of charge. Original documents can only be consulted in the designated reading room and by appointment. Requests for access to archives (consultation of original documents) must be preceded by:

• searching the online inventories via Morphé
• completing the online request form

This form must include the research topic, archival references, and the exact titles of the requested files.

For more information: “Filling out a consultation request on MorphéBook“ [PDF.]

It is possible to take free photographs for personal work purposes of documents consulted in the reading room, under the following conditions:

• photography is only allowed using the tablet provided by Acm: files are stored on a secured central server and then sent electronically to the user after an EPFL watermark is applied;
• images may only be used for private purposes, within the context of the specified consultation, and must not be published, shared, or transmitted to third parties under any circumstances.

The same legal conditions apply as for reproductions provided by the internal or external service, especially regarding:

• copyright (author credit, no reuse without authorization);
• personal data (prohibition of reproducing documents containing identifiable information).

If high-resolution files are needed for publication or editorial use, please consult our offer.

Dedicated consultation workstation
Born-digital documents, those existing only in digitized form, or those for which consultation of the original is excluded for preservation reasons or to limit handling, are accessible on a dedicated computer workstation in the reading room. A computer is available for this purpose.

Legal framework
Certain documents are subject to legal restrictions, particularly regarding the protection of personal data and intellectual property rights. As such, they may not be transmitted or disseminated online. Consultation of these documents is strictly limited to on-site use, by duly registered users who have accepted the general terms of consultation and explicitly stated the purpose of their request, as part of a research, planning, or statistical project, justified by an overriding interest (FADP, RS 235.1, §31). This framework aims to ensure a balance between the protection of individuals’ rights and the right of access to information for scientific purposes, in accordance with applicable legal provisions. In case of doubt, the federal legislation and EPFL regulations shall prevail..

General conditions
It is not permitted to copy, transfer, or export digital files to personal storage devices, nor to access them remotely.
The rules applicable to physical documents (consultation, photography, citation, reproduction, usage rights) apply equally to digital documents.

The use, reproduction or dissemination of archival documents requires precise rules regarding source citation and author attribution. These obligations aim to ensure document traceability, highlight heritage collections, and comply with Swiss copyright law.

Source citation
Any use of reproduced documents must indicate their provenance. This ensures traceability of sources and visibility of scientific collections.
Source citation is mandatory in any publication or dissemination (print or digital), in one of the following forms:

• Full format: Archives de la construction moderne (Acm), EPFL. Fonds name. Reference.
• Short format (common use): Acm-EPFL. Fonds name. Reference.

The citation must be placed near the reproduction (caption, photo credit, footnote, etc.).
If unsure about the format or exact wording, please contact the archivists.

Author attribution
According to the Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1), mentioning the author’s name is mandatory for any public dissemination of a work, including for non-commercial purposes. This legal obligation also applies to archival documents reproduced with authorization. Failure to comply may infringe on moral rights and expose users to civil or criminal sanctions.
Users are thus responsible for ensuring the author’s name is always indicated next to the reproduction, in line with moral rights under copyright law.

Documents held at Acm may be protected under copyright, according to the Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1).
Obtaining a reproduction does not imply any transfer of rights or permission to disseminate.

Copyright ownership
Acm does not necessarily hold the copyright for the documents it preserves. For example:

• when the physical donation did not include an explicit copyright transfer (please inquire with the archivists);
• for collective works where rights are shared with third parties;
• for photographs taken by third parties (commissioned photographer, family member, external collaborator, etc.);
• for documents signed or produced by individuals other than the main creator (engineers, contractors, journalists, etc.).

Note: unless exceptions apply, copyright generally expires 70 years after the author’s death (not from creation or publication date).

User responsibility
Each user must verify the legal status of the documents they wish to use, reproduce, or disseminate and, where applicable, contact the rights holders (authors or heirs). Author credit is mandatory in all public reproductions, under the moral rights provision of the CopA. Failure to comply may lead to legal action.

Orphan works and collective management
For orphan works (documents with unknown or unidentifiable authors), we recommend contacting ProLitteris, the Swiss collective rights management society.

Generally, any public use of a protected document requires explicit authorization, whether for scientific, educational, editorial, or museum purposes—even non-commercial ones.

The Archives de la construction moderne (Acm) at EPFL are subject to the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP, RS 235.1) and to EPFL’s internal legal framework, including the Federal Act on the Federal Institutes of Technology (RS 414.110, art. 36c) and the Polylex directives. Any consultation or reproduction of documents containing personal data is strictly limited to scientific research, planning or statistical purposes, in accordance with the conditions set out in the FADP. The processing of such data is lawful only if it serves a non-personal purpose, if the data are anonymised as soon as the purpose of the processing allows, if the data subjects cannot be identified, and if the results are published in a form that does not allow identification. Access to documents containing sensitive data (such as information on health, intimate sphere, political, religious or trade union opinions, social assistance measures or criminal sanctions) is prohibited in the absence of a formal legal basis or the explicit consent of the data subject. In case of doubt, the federal legislation and EPFL regulations shall prevail.

All consultation requests are subject to prior assessment based on legal, contractual, and material criteria. Acm reserves the right to deny access if the request violates applicable legislation, donor-imposed conditions, or preservation standards.

Legal provisions (personal data)
Federal and cantonal laws (e.g., data protection or professional secrecy) must not prohibit or restrict access or reproduction.

Overriding public or private interest
Reproduction or dissemination must not harm privacy or compromise higher interests (security, public order, etc.).

Contractual restrictions
Some documents are subject to specific contractual terms set by donors or depositors. These may restrict or prohibit reproduction.

Material condition of the document
Reproduction may be denied if the document’s condition does not allow safe handling. This applies particularly to:

• very fragile media (acidic paper, old tracing paper, brittle or folded documents);
• unstable formats not compatible with scanning equipment;
• damaged documents affected by moisture, light, insects, or deterioration;
• documents with unstable surfaces, such as pastel, wax pencil, charcoal, or sprayed ink, where reproduction may cause damage or material transfer.

Decisions are made by Acm staff, based on preservation evaluation, and in accordance with heritage conservation principles.

When submitting a consultation request, users accept without reservation the conditions for consultation and use, by ticking the corresponding box in the request form.
The conditions are as follows:

Conditions of use: Reproductions may only be used for the stated purpose, as specified in the initial request, and may not be shared with third parties without prior explicit authorization. Any further use requires a new formal request. This ensures compliance with copyright law and prevents unauthorized use of documents from the Archives de la construction moderne.

Copyright: Users assume full responsibility for obtaining authorization from any rightsholders other than the Archives de la construction moderne. They must ensure that the author’s name is always cited alongside any authorized reproduction, in compliance with legal requirements.

Personal data: Users are fully responsible for securing authorization from any individuals affected by personality rights. In line with data protection legislation², access to documents must comply with applicable legal requirements. Users must not use personal data for publication or public dissemination and must not attempt to identify individuals. Data may only be shared with third parties if prior written consent is obtained and if legally permitted.

Credits: Users must include the provenance and, if not otherwise indicated, the photo credit. The source must be cited as: “Archives de la construction moderne – EPFL, fonds name”.

Copy for records: After publication, users agree to send the Archives de la construction moderne a copy of any publication in which reproductions of their documents were used. This helps track how archival materials are being used.

Commitment: Users formally agree that their use of information from consulted documents will not violate any legal rights or protected interests. They will not disclose any information that could affect national security, public safety, personal privacy, or property rights. They agree to hold harmless the Archives de la construction moderne and EPFL from any third-party claims related to intellectual property, privacy, or other rights.

Acceptance: By consulting the documents or using reproductions, users expressly accept the terms and conditions in this disclaimer and commit to complying with copyright and data protection laws.

1) Federal Act of 9 October 1992 on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1).
2) Federal Act of 25 september 2020 on Data Protection (FADP, RS 235.1).

Why hasn’t everything been digitized?
Digitization is neither automatic nor universal. It is a long, costly, and technically complex process that requires careful prioritization based on conservation, access, and available resources.
Many documents are not eligible for digitization, for several reasons:
– unusual formats (plans, rolls, mixed media);
– fragile material condition that prevents safe handling;
– legal constraints, especially regarding personal data protection or copyright that restrict reproduction or distribution.
Moreover, digitization does not ensure long-term accessibility: digital files require infrastructure, standardized metadata, and ongoing migration processes to remain usable. This technological dependence also has a significant environmental cost, linked to energy consumption, hardware production and renewal, and data center management.
For these reasons, digitization is carried out gradually and selectively, and on-site consultation remains the standard for most holdings.

Why can documents only be consulted on-site and not borrowed?
Archives are often fragile, unique, and irreplaceable. Handling requires strict conditions to ensure their long-term preservation. For this reason, they can only be consulted in a controlled environment, under the supervision of archival staff.
In addition, access to some documents is restricted by law, especially when they contain personal or sensitive data protected by the Loi fédérale sur la protection des données (LPD, RS 235.1). On-site consultation allows appropriate protective measures to be implemented and ensures compliance with the legal framework.