How do I request research library materials?
Item is kept offsite. Book is in the research library. Can I get a scan of pages?
Answer
An overview of how to request research items in advance of your visit can be found here:
https://www.nypl.org/offsite
The basic steps are:
- Search for materials in the library's Research Catalog [https://catalog.nypl.org].
- For items with a “Request for On-site Use” button under “Location” in the catalog, click the button to request the item.
- If the item does not have a "Request for On-site Use" button in the catalog, use one of the request forms ...
Here's the request form for items kept by our Stephen A. Schwarzman Library:
https://www.nypl.org/help/request-research-materials/request
Here's a list of contact information for research divisions at our other locations:
https://www.nypl.org/help/request-research-materials#special
To make the most of your time at NYPL, it's recommended in advance of a visit that you consult with staff. Here's a Web page where researchers can make arrangements:
https://libcal.nypl.org/appointments/
In some cases, you can request a scan of a portion of the book via our Scan and Deliver Service. When you've searched our Research Catalog and found an item, you may see a blue "Request Scan" button - click on that to begin the process (and have your NYPL library card and PIN/Password ready). Here's a link to the Research Catalog:
https://catalog.nypl.org/
More information about the Scan and Deliver service is available here:
https://www.nypl.org/research/scan-and-deliver
If you need to get more than we're able to scan and you can't visit one of our research libraries, you can reach out to our Interlibrary and Document Services staff, who would be able to do the work for a fee:
https://www.nypl.org/ask-nypl/research-questions-reproductions
If you're looking for items to borrow, you can check our Encore catalog - https://browse.nypl.org . Items that have a "Place Hold" button can be checked out (and also can be sent to any NYPL branch location).