Special Collections Research
You have reached the NYPL Special Collections account registration page. Please read and accept the following policies, and then you will be brought to a registration form. Once you fill out and submit the registration form, you will be brought directly into your new Special Collections account.
New York Public Library welcomes all to its special collections. To request access to special collections material, all users will need to create a Special Collections account (which is separate from your NYPL library card account). Locations in NYPL Special Collections are using this account for access to materials.
If you have trouble with or have questions about the registration process or the Special Collections account, please contact
specialcollections@nypl.org. You may visit our Special Collections account
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information.
Copyright Restrictions
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research". If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
The New York Public Library reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. All responsibility for infringement of rights is assumed by the researcher.
All requests for scanning of materials held in special collections must be first submitted to and reviewed by the staff of those collections. Visit
How to Contact our Research Centers, who can facilitate your requests.
Data Collection and Use
The information you submit on the next page that is required may be retained indefinitely by the New York Public Library (NYPL). Collection usage and activity is managed via a secure third-party software called Aeon, by Atlas Systems, Inc. With this Aeon requesting software, the NYPL collects and stores data on your interaction with the Aeon system and your use of special collections materials. The use of this data is governed by
NYPL's Privacy Policy.
Best practices in data retention for research collections dictate that registration records and records of collections use must be retained permanently so that specific items, regardless of format, can be unequivocally linked to a particular researcher. We may use this information to protect the rights, property, or safety of NYPL's Research Collection, its users or others; to conduct research; for administration and maintenance of collections or archival operations; and otherwise in support of NYPL's mission.
