Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0004315, Thu, 5 Aug 1999 16:54:20 -0700

Subject
Re: current state of access to Nabokov archive at Library of
Congress (fwd)
Date
Body
EDITOR'S NOTE. Here is an official answer to the frequent query about
access to the Nabokov Archive at the Libraryof COngress.
-------------------------------

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alice Lotvin Birney <abir@loc.gov>

Dmitri Nabokov still controls access to those Vladimir Nabokov Papers in
the Library of Congress donated by the author. According to the terms of
the Instrument of Gift signed by Vladimir Nabokov May 30, 1959, and by the
Librarian of Congress June 23, 1959, the author or his wife or son has
control of both access and copyright for fifty years, i.e. until June 23,
2009. At that point, the collection will be open and the Nabokov writings
in it will be in the public domain. Presently, Dmitri responds separately
to each detailed application for access submitted through the Manuscript
Division. As you may know, those items acquired from persons other than
the author, located at the end of the collection, have no access
resrtrictions.


Alice Lotvin Birney
American Literature Manuscript Historian
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-4689
Tel: (202) 707-1090 Fax: (202) 707-6336

>>> Donald Barton Johnson <chtodel@humanitas.ucsb.edu> 07/26 9:57 PM
>>>
Dear Alice Birney,

The question of access to the Nabokov archive stuff at the LC has
come up again on NABOKV-L. Is there a blanket closure or is Dmitri
admitting selected individuals on request?

D. Barton Johnson
Department of Germanic, Slavic and Semitic Studies
Phelps Hall
University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone and Fax: (805) 687-1825
Home Phone: (805) 682-4618