Rare and Manuscript Collections

1. Sign in or create an account here.
2. Once you’ve arrived at your account home page, click the “To create a new request we recommend using the Cornell University Library catalog.” link to navigate to the Cornell University Library catalog.
3. We are able to retrieve a maximum of five items per appointment block. These items are paged in advance so they are waiting for you when you arrive. If you find you need additional material while you are in the reading room let the desk attendant know at 11:30 or 2:30, the times we retrieve additional materials.
4. Find the material you’d like to see using the search function. This function is different for published material like books compared to archival material. Follow the steps below for the format you plan to use.

For archival material (manuscript collections):

• Search the library catalog for the name of the collection.
• Click the collection title in the search results, this will bring you to the catalog record.
• Click “Finding Aid.” This will bring you to the finding aid document, which lists what’s in each box of the collection.
• When you find something you’d like to see in the reading room, click the “Request” button in the top right of the page.
• Check the details of your request. Please ignore the “Schedule appointment” section – you’ll complete this step later.
• Click “Submit.”

For published material (books, periodicals, etc):

• Search the library catalog for the name of the item.
• Click the name of the item in the search results, this will bring you to the catalog record.
• Click “Request item for reading room delivery.”
• Select the volume number, if applicable.
• Click “Submit.”

5. Lastly, you’ll use your account to request an appointment. To do this, follow these steps:

• Go to your account home page.
• Click “Appointments” in the menu at the top of the page and click “New Appointment.”
• Select the Rare and Manuscript Collections Reading Room – not Kheel Center.
• Select the date, length, and time of your appointment.
• Click “Create appointment.”

Appointment policies:

1. Appointments can typically be scheduled Monday-Friday, with two time blocks: from 10:00am-12:30pm and from 1:30pm-4:00pm. Complete hours can be found here. You can schedule a minimum of 1 hour or a maximum of 2.5 per time block. You can schedule both time blocks on a given day as long as seats are available.
2. Appointments must be scheduled at least 5 business days in advance. Last minute appointments may be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Group appointments cannot be accommodated on short notice. Please email rareref@cornell.edu for more information.
3. Appointments are for only one person. If you are working with someone else please let us know. Research partners will also need to create an account in order to have an appointment confirmed.
4. Appointments are not confirmed until you receive a confirmation email from us.
5. If you are unable to keep your appointment at its scheduled date and time, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing rareref@cornell.edu. Because space is limited in the reading room, your seat may not be available if you arrive late for your scheduled appointment.
6. If your selected date and time is not available, it’s likely that all available appointments for that date and time are taken. Please email rareref@cornell.edu with questions.