ACORN (Arboretum COllections & Resources Nexus) provides online access to the special collections of the Sterling Morton Library and other Arboretum resources like images, videos, and documents. New resources are added to the system on a regular basis as a part of our ongoing cataloguing and digitization efforts.
The Sterling Morton Library supports the work and mission of The Morton Arboretum. Devoted mainly to the literature of botany and horticulture, especially as it relates to trees and shrubs that can be grown in northern Illinois, the collections of this special library are a unique resource in the Chicago area. Open to all, the Library and its collections present scholarly and general interest information resources about plants.
The Sterling Morton Library at The Morton Arboretum is committed to providing access to our collections through ACORN so that everyone can learn from, use, and share our collections.
The Sterling Morton Library and the ACORN database houses items created by individuals who may have retained the copyright for their work. You are responsible for determining the copyright status of an individual work and securing permissions from the copyright holder to create reproductions or otherwise disseminate the work. The Sterling Morton Library does not guarantee the copyright status of any materials not owned by The Morton Arboretum.
Noncommercial uses of the images for which The Morton Arboretum owns the copyright are encouraged; you may use them as long as you credit us as the source and link back to the originating web page whenever possible. The recommended attribution is [Title], [Creator], Courtesy of The Morton Arboretum.
Images on acorn.mortonarb.org (ACORN) may be used for research, instruction, private study, and some other uses under the provisions of fair use. Fair use is a provision of U.S. Copyright Law (United States Code, Title 17, section 107) which allows limited use of copyrighted materials under certain conditions. Factors to be considered for whether a particular use falls under fair use include: the purpose or character of the use; the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the work being used; and the effect of the use on the market for and value of the original. Under fair use, you may view, print, photocopy, and download images from ACORN without prior permission, provided that you provide proper attribution of the source on all copies.
If you require higher-resolution images for publication, please contact us with the details of that publication using the Image Use Request Form.
Similarly, if you have a use that might be considered commercial, or if you’re unsure about a particular use, fill out the Image Use Request Form.
Requests typically receive a response within 5 business days, and it may take up to 4 weeks to fulfill your request. Some requests may have a fee associated with them.