Public Access

Members of the public may use the Library by appointment Monday & Friday 10am - 4:30pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:30am - 5:30pm.

Please note that the stacks are not open to the public and Library materials cannot be borrowed. However, items may be paged from the collection for your use in the Reading Room. Please use the Search page to see our holdings prior to your visit.  Once you have identified the items you would like to view, please email us at [email protected] or call us at +1-212-769-5400 during normal Library hours.

Access to material in the Rare Book Collection and Special Collections is by special appointment only. To make an appointment to view a rare book, please complete a rare book collection access form. To make an appointment to view archives and other special collections, please refer to our Special Collections Access page.

Library Policies

1. All patrons must leave coats and bags in the designated area at the entrance to the Library, and must register at the Reference Desk before using Library facilities.
2. Patrons may not bring food or drink into the Library.
3. Patrons may consult the reference collection (which is housed in the Reading Room) or submit call slips to request items from the general collection (Main Stacks). 
4. Patrons must submit picture identification (i.e. driver's license, school ID, etc.) at the time when materials are delivered that will be held at the Reference Desk until the patron has returned all Library materials. At their discretion, Reference Staff may limit the use of especially fragile or rare materials.
5. The computers located in the Reading Room are provided for research purposes only. These computers may be used to access resources such as the Library's Catalog, Databases, and E-Journals.
6. A Reference Librarian is on duty at all times to assist with research inquiries. Librarians are able to answer inquiries that can be resolved quickly using ready reference resources. For more in-depth inquiries, librarians will advise patrons on how to conduct research using Library resources.

Please contact us if you have any questions about gaining access to the Library or finding Library materials.