Get Started with Your Research
Quick Links
Before You Arrive
- Apply for a Library Card
- Search the Collections
- Consult with Library Staff
- Request Research Materials
- Explore Our Research Guides
- Accessibility
During Your Visit
- Checkrooms & Lockers
- Computers
- Wi-Fi
- Copying & Printing
- Review Our Regulations
NYPL's Research Centers
- Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
- The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
- Thomas Yoseloff Business Center at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)
Before You Arrive
Apply for a Library Card
If you aren't already a cardholder, apply online today
for a New York Public Library card. Visitors from outside New York can obtain a Visiting Researcher
library card that offers three months of access to our collections. When you apply for a card online, you will
receive a seven-digit temporary barcode. This allows you to set a PIN, place lending items on hold, or submit
requests for research items from offsite storage. You’ll need to show a photo ID and proof of your address to
complete your library card registration on arrival at NYPL locations and before you can consult research
materials.
Search the Collections
Use NYPL’s Research Catalog to
discover materials and request free scans of millions of items from the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Plus,
discover additional materials from library collections at Columbia University, Harvard University, and Princeton
University. (Please note that the Research Catalog does not include circulating materials—for books and more that
you can check out to take home, please visit our circulating
branch catalog.)
Consult with Library Staff
Our librarians and curators are here to help you find and access the materials you need for your
research. Contact individual divisions and
collections if you have questions prior to your visit or would like to schedule a research consultation
with a librarian. Don’t know where to start? Call,
text, email, or chat with the Ask NYPL service with general questions.
Please note that while some divisions welcome researchers without appointments, space is limited and not
all resources are quickly accessible—or stored onsite—so many reading rooms require an appointment for you to
access materials. You must have a library card both to
request an onsite appointment and access materials in person.
Learn more about our research libraries, divisions, and collections:
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
- General Research
Division (including the DeWitt Wallace
Periodical Room) - Dorot Jewish Division
- Henry
W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature - Manuscripts and Archives
Division - Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal
Map Division - Irma and Paul Milstein Division of
United States History, Local History and Genealogy - Carl
H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle - Rare Book Division
(including the George
Arents Collection) - The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach
Division (including the Art &
Architecture Collection, Photography Collection,
Picture Collection,
Print Collection,
and Spencer
Collection)
Schomburg Center for Research in
Black Culture
- Art and Artifacts
Division - Jean
Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division - Manuscripts,
Archives and Rare Books Division - Moving
Image and Recorded Sound Division - Photographs and
Prints Division
The New York Public
Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
- Theatre
on Film and Tape Archive - Billy
Rose Theatre Division - Jerome
Robbins Dance Division - Music and Recorded
Sound Division
Thomas
Yoseloff Business Center at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)
Request Materials
We encourage all researchers to request materials in advance of their visit because delivery times vary
and not all resources are quickly accessible. Keep in mind that Research Library materials are used onsite at the
Library and cannot be checked out.
To request items, you’ll need an active NYPL Library
account.
- Search for materials in the library's Research
Catalog. - For items with a Request button in the catalog, click the button to request the item.
If there isn’t a Request button shown, the item could be in use by another researcher, or may have
restrictions on use. For information about your options contact the division that keeps the material.
Explore Our Research Guides
Our expert staff have developed research guides that will point you to the best resources. Find primary
and scholarly sources in our online databases, including specialized lists, indexes, bibliographies, and more.
Get started with Research Guides.
Accessibility
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance, we are here to help! The Library takes an
active approach to providing access to our resources and services. Learn more about Access for Researchers with
Disabilities.
During Your Visit
Checkrooms & Lockers
Supervised, no-fee checkrooms or lockers are provided at each research center. To protect our collections
and improve the study environment for all, special collection reading rooms require you to check coats and bags.
Visit the Checkroom
Services page for additional details.
Computers
There are computers available for use at all our research centers. Personal laptops and tablets are also
allowed in reading rooms.
Wi-Fi
All Library locations offer free wireless access (Wi-Fi) in public areas at all times the libraries are
open. Using your computer's network utilities, look for the wireless network named "NYPL," no password required.
Learn more about connecting to our free Wi-Fi.
Copying & Printing
To preserve the physical condition of research collection materials, Library staff must evaluate whether
an item’s condition will allow for copying or scanning. Some material may only be copied or scanned by Library
staff and some may not be copied or scanned. Go to the Copying, Printing,
and Scanning Services page for more information. See the Copying,
Printing, and Scanning Prices page for self-service and staff-assisted pricing.
Review Our Regulations
Please familiarize yourself with the General Regulations
of the research centers before your visit. All visitors are expected to comply with them.
NYPL’s Research Centers
Check out directions, opening hours, and what you can do and see at our four world-class research centers
in New York City:
- Stephen A.
Schwarzman BuildingFifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Manhattan
- The New York Public
Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center40 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan
- Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture515 Malcolm X Boulevard, Manhattan
- Thomas
Yoseloff Business Center at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)455 Fifth Avenue (at 40th Street), Manhattan
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programs.