About

The BNYDC Archives

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) Archives, established in 2004, is the department charged with collecting, organizing, and making accessible to BNYDC staff, BNY tenants, and the general public documentation regarding the physical site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The flagship collection of architectural and engineering drawings documents the Yard’s development from the latter part of the 19th century through the period of decommissioning, 1964-1966. In addition, the Archives holds all institutional records of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. 

Architectural, Engineering, General Overview Plans of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Archives' primary information asset, there are two collections comprising plans of the Brooklyn Navy Yard--the original construction drawings created by the US Navy, and more recent repair, renovation, and infrastructure update projects created by BNYDC. The original construction drawings are, by and large, available for access and use to the general public, with some restrictions. The contemporary collection is only available to BNYDC staff, BNY tenants, and third parties under contract with BNYDC.

Shipworker 
Shipworker was the official periodical of the New York Naval Shipyard, and ran from November 1941 through June 1966. The publication details the functions, activities, and events that occurred at the Navy Yard from its period of greatest expansion through to its decommissioning. It was printed commercially via the Department of the Navy and distributed freely to employees on a bi-weekly, and sometimes weekly, basis.

BNYDC Institutional Records
The Archives actively collects and preserves the permanent records of BNYDC. Meetings of the Board of Directors, photographs, construction project records, and corporate branding collateral are some highlights from these collections, and are available exclusively to BNYDC staff. 

Using the Collections

Access
The BNYDC Archives will provide access to its holdings within the limits of privacy and confidentiality. Although most of our public collections are open for use, there are materials held by the Archives that are subject to access restrictions. All institutional records are restricted except for use by BNYDC staff, BNY tenants, and third parties under contract with BNYDC.

Use
If a user plans to publish materials from the Archives (excerpts, copies of photographs, etc.), that user is obligated to identify and resolve any copyright restrictions on materials prior to publication. The user is solely responsible for determining whether there are copyright restrictions on material and, if so, for obtaining permission to use the material for publication. This is a complex endeavor, and while the Archives can sometimes provide information about the rights ownership of a particular work, it may not be known to us. This is most common with photographs. The researcher must obtain from the lawful holder of copyright any necessary permission to publish.

Copyright
Unless expressly stated, the copyright and other intellectual property rights (including design rights, trademarks, and patents) in any material provided on this website remains the property of BNYDC (or as the case may be another rightful owner). Permission for using material outside the public domain must be obtained from the BNYDC Archives. Additional permission may be required where the copyright of the material is not owned by BNYDC.

The copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to make reproductions, as long as that reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a reproduction for a purpose which does not qualify as "fair use," that user may be individually liable for copyright infringement. BNYDC reserves the right to refuse to accept a reproduction request if the fulfillment of said request is in violation of copyright law or other applicable law.

The Archives encourages users to determine copyright status via a collection's finding aid, and in some cases, Archives staff can assist in copyright permission. 

Policies