A. IMF Policy on Access to the Archives
The public has access to a substantial range of information as part of
IMF's efforts to promote openness and transparency.
IMF’s Open Archives Policy
(Decision No. 14498 – (09/126), adopted 12/17/09 and effective 03/17/10, as
amended) gives to the public access to documentary materials maintained in
the IMF's archives including:
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Executive Board documents, which are available to the public under 3-
and 5-year rules except for items exempted from public disclosure:
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Institutional archives, which are available after 20 years
IMF Records exempt from public disclosure are:
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Legal documents protected by attorney-client privilege;
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Confidential documentary materials provided to the IMF by external
parties, including member countries, their agencies and central banks,
unless such parties consent to their declassification;
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Personnel files, medical and other records pertaining to individuals;
and,
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Documents and proceedings of the IMF Grievance Committee.
Since 1996, the time
rules for access were modified
to respond to the users' community but the initial records types excluded
from access by external researchers remain unchanged.
B. Copyright to Archives Holdings and Terms of Use
The researcher's use and publication of Fund archival material is governed
by the IMF
Copyright and Usage Terms
. As a general matter, only personal, noncommercial usage is permitted. For
additional permissions to use Fund archival records, please follow the
instructions in the IMF
Copyright and Usage Terms
and submit a request. Materials also are available for purchase on the IMF Bookstore Website.
C. Disclaimer for Access to Departmental Records
Under the
Policy on Access
to the IMF's Archives only departmental archival materials that are 20
years and older may be open to the public after they have been reviewed. There might be descriptions of holdings in the Archives catalog less than
20 years old due to archival processes, but they will be available to the
public only when they fulfill the 20-year rule. Conversely, if you do not
see descriptions of holdings due for release based on the time rule, please
ask the Archives at archives@imf.org.
D. Frequently Asked Questions
On the Archives
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How to get access to the holdings of the IMF Archives?
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How to submit information request?
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Can “Secret” or “Strictly Confidential” IMF documents be
declassified and made available to the public?
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Can IMF records that are exempt from public closure be opened?
1. How to get access to the holdings of the IMF Archives?
The archives web catalog is a gateway to historical records of the Fund. There are two collections to browse and select from: the digital collection of the Executive Board Documents, available for immediate remote access; and the physical collection of Institutional Archives, to consult on site.
2. How to submit information request?
Send your general questions to archives@imf.org and we will respond
within 5 working days. For known items, search the catalog to make and
email us a selection of records you wish to consult. Once the selection
list is finalized,
the review process of the materials commences. When the review is over, we
will schedule your visit to the reading room.
3. Can “Secret” or “Strictly Confidential” IMF documents be
declassified and made available to the public?
Secret or Strictly Confidential documents can be requested to be
declassified and access will be granted only upon consent of the IMF
Managing Director.
4. Can IMF records that are exempt from public closure be opened?
No. There are exceptions applied to IMF records that preclude them from
being publicly disclosed and they cannot be opened to the public. For
example, human resource documents that contain personally identifiable or
sensitive personal information cannot be made public.
For Visitors
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Who can use the IMF archives?
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Do I need an appointment to come to the IMF Archives?
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What form of photo identification is needed?
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Where are you located?
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Is the Archives reading room accessible by disabled persons?
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What are the reading room hours?
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How are the time rules for access to IMF records administered?
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What is the photocopying policy?
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May I use a digital camera in the reading room?
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May I use a laptop computer in the reading room?
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May I send an independent researcher on my behalf?
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Do you conduct archives research for people who cannot visit in
person?
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How do I cite records found in the IMF Archives?
1. Who can use the IMF archives?
Members of the general public can conduct onsite research in the IMF
Archives.
2. Do I need an appointment to come to the IMF Archives?
Yes. Please see
Visiting the Archives
section.
3. What form of photo identification is needed?
Visitors must present a current government-issued photo ID such as a
passport or driver's license.
4. Where are you located?
The IMF Archives is located in the IMF Headquarters 1 Building (HQ1) in
Washington, D.C. For information about visitor access to the IMF,
directions, business hours and holiday schedules please see
Visiting the IMF.
5. Is the Archives reading room accessible by disabled persons?
Yes — the reading room is accessible by elevator.
6. What are the reading room hours?
By appointment only. For more details, see the Reading Room Protocol.
7. How are the time rules for access to IMF records administered?
See the
IMF's Open Archives Policy (Decision No. 14498 – (09/126), adopted
12/17/09 effective 03/17/10.
8. What is the photocopying policy?
Photocopies are no longer provided.
9. May I use a digital camera in the reading room?
The Archives recommends the use of a digital camera to make copies of
documents but note that flash photography is not permitted. A camera stand
is provided to researchers for this purpose.
Staff reserves the right to deny requests to copy fragile original
materials for conservation reasons.
10. May I use a laptop computer in the reading room?
Yes. There is a WIFI connection in the Reading Room..
11. May I send an independent researcher on my behalf?
Yes. With advance notice we allow professional researchers to conduct
research on behalf of someone who is unable to come onsite.
12. Do you conduct archives research for people who cannot visit in
person?
We can provide brief responses to factual requests but, for more
substantive or analytical work, researchers are expected to come in person.
General inquiries regarding IMF policies, relations with member countries,
or requests for statistical data should be directed to the IMF Public
Affairs Division at publicaffairs@imf.org while
inquiries regarding IMF publications available for purchase should be
directed to publications@imf.org.
13. How do I cite records found in the IMF Archives?
Any researcher using archival material from the IMF Archives, regardless of
the citation style they prefer to use (such as APA, ASA, Chicago, Harvard,
MLA etc.), should note that citation of archival material typically has two
basic parts: the location reference and the document description, each of
which may have several components. In any cases, the following elements
should be included: (1) Location reference: Name of the repository, Title
of the fonds or collection, and Reference Code (if any); and (2) Document
description: Title of Series, Sub-series, Folder title, and date range. For more information, please visit the IMF Bookstore Website or see Citing IMF Archives guide.