Hershey Community Archives will reproduce most items in the collections unless they are too fragile or are subject to legal, contractual or copyright restrictions. In addition, the extent of the duplication request may be restricted by staff time and availability.

No personal photo-duplication devices (including smartphones) are permitted.

Copies of unpublished archival materials are for personal research use only. Photocopies will be printed on Archives copy paper. PDFs will be watermarked. Duplicates may not be reproduced or deposited in another repository without written permission from the Archives.

Acquiring a duplicate is not an authorization to publish. Permission must be obtained from the Archives to publish or display any items copied from the Archives’ collections. Contact Archives staff for a permission to publish form and information on applicable publication fees.

Employees of The Hershey Company, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, Hershey Trust Company, Milton Hershey School, and The M.S. Hershey Foundation should contact the Archives at 717-533-1777 or contact@hersheyarchives.org for duplications.

Please note that 6% Pennsylvania sales tax will be added to all reproduction orders. The Archives accepts payment via cash (in-person), check (by mail or in-person) or credit card (over the phone or in-person; no credit card information should be shared via email).

Photocopies and Reference PDFs

Photocopies and Reference PDFs are available to Archives Reading Room visitors.

Reading Room Photocopy and Reference PDF Fees
$0.25 per page. Requests in excess of 25 pages will incur a $25 surcharge.

Distance Researchers

We understand that distance and travel can sometimes be challenging for researchers. If you are unable to travel to the Archives, please contact us with specific research questions. Archives staff may conduct preliminary research for 30 minutes, free of charge, to determine availability of information. If the question requires more than 30 minutes of staff research time, we will reach out regarding the distance research fees listed below. Distance research requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Due to the nature of some requests, an on-site visit may be required.

The Archives also accepts written duplication requests for specific items from the collections. Researchers should contact us and thoroughly identify the requested material, noting the Item number or Collection ID, Box, and Folder. Upon receiving a written request, the Archives will either e-mail an invoice or request additional information before invoicing the order. Payment of the invoice is required before the order will be processed. Please do not send payment before receiving an invoice.

Distance Research Fees
30 minutes of complimentary preliminary research. Then, $30 per hour, with a minimum of one hour.

Distance Research Photocopy and Reference PDF Fees
$0.25 per page, with a $5.00 minimum charge (plus shipping if requesting physical copies). Requests in excess of 25 pages will incur a $25 surcharge. Requests in excess of 50 pages will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Digital Images

Hershey Community Archives has an extensive collection of photographs and other digitized materials that illustrate all aspects of Hershey’s past. All publicly available digitized material can be viewed on our collections database.

Non-watermarked files of images identified in the collections database are available at the fees listed below. To obtain reproductions, please contact us, noting the Item number. Upon receiving a request, the Archives will either e-mail an invoice or request additional information before invoicing the order. Payment of the invoice is required before the order will be processed. Please do not send payment before receiving an invoice.

Digital Image Fees

*All images are scanned at original size (100%), with a dpi relative to the size of the object. The JPEG format has a dpi half of that of the master (TIFF) file.

There is no additional charge for file transfer via e-mail or a file transfer service. In most cases, JPEGs will be transferred via e-mail. TIFF files, which are larger in size, may not be accepted by all e-mail applications. TIFFs will be transferred by a file transfer service.

Orders of 20 or more digital images receive a 10% discount off the entire order.

Non-Profit Organizations and Students
Students and non-profit organizations requesting digital reproductions for educational purposes may receive up to 4 digital images free of charge (some exclusions may apply). Proof of non-profit or student status required. After the first 4 images, regular fees apply.

Maps and Plans

The Archives will reproduce maps and architectural plans unless they are too fragile for scanning.

Maps and Plans Reproduction Fees
Digital scans of maps and architectural plans will be calculated at $5.00 per square foot. Photocopies of maps and plans will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Audiovisual Materials

Digital audiovisual reproductions are available on a case-by-case basis.

Audiovisual Material Reproduction Fees
Recordings 5 minutes in length or less: $20 per digital file

Recordings over 5 minutes in length: $40 per digital file

If a researcher requests duplication of an item for which there is no existing digital archival master, the researcher is required to pay the costs associated with making a digital archival master to be retained by the Archives.