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Researching With Us

Information For Your Visit

Reading Room Environment

The Barnard Archives and Special Collections is open to all researchers, and the staff of the Archives strives to make our collections as accessible as possible. 

  • Users do not need to have an affiliation to Barnard or Columbia (or any institution).
    We do not require that users show us ID and we do not ask for their IDs.

  • We do not charge for reproductions -- scans or photocopies. We do have limitations on our capacity for reproductions which are shared in the section Reproduction of Materials.

  • We welcome families of all kinds to be together in our reading room. We try to stock the desk with activities for younger visitors and offer the use of laptops for families and companions to utilize. 

  • Our offices are accessible to individuals with mobility disabilities.

  • We have bathroom facilities available for all gender identities.

We also strive to make your research visit as comfortable as possible:

  • There is a water fountain directly outside of our office. While we do not allow food in our reading room, we do permit researchers to drink beverages from a container that has a lid and we are happy to share recommendations for food and drink in our neighborhood.

  • Our office can be cold and we do not have direct control over its temperatures. We recommend that researchers wear or bring layers for their visit.

  • Currently we have lightly padded, armless chairs for use in the reading room. If you need or desire an ergonomic chair for the duration of your visit, we can provide one for you from our office.

  • If it is helpful for you to utilize a laptop riser, we currently have one available in our office that we can make available to you.

  • Visitors with scent or sensory accommodations may ask for us to pull window shades down, adjust lighting, and/or for staff to limit fragrances during their visit. Because of the volume of our visitors, we cannot ensure a visit that will be completely free of fragrances. Hand soap in the bathrooms is commercial-grade antibiotic soap that is lightly scented. 

If you need any accommodations to ensure you have a positive visit to the Archives, please let us know. 

Researcher Responsibilities

  • Archival materials can be used in the reading room. Archival materials do not circulate. They must remain within the Archives. We are happy to accommodate researchers with scans and photocopies and have two self-scanning stations available for use in the reading room (see Use of Digital Cameras and Scanners below for more information). Learn more about reproductions, copyright, and citing archival materials.

  • Researchers can place their personal items--bags, jackets, etc.--on the shelving or coat rack we provide for their personal belongings.

  • We ask that researchers do not eat food and set aside liquid while they work with the collections. The worker assisting the researcher should help find a reasonable place to set aside the drink. Eating is not allowed in the reading room, but drinks in closed containers can be kept.

  • Keep all archival materials in the original order in which they are found. To assist with this, we ask that researchers look at one folder at a time. 

  • Researchers are expected to uphold the archives Community Agreements.

Use of Digital Cameras and Scanners

We welcome researchers to use laptops, tablets, and chargers in our reading room. Patrons may use digital cameras (including phone cameras) in the Archives. We additionally welcome the use of our two self-scanning stations in our reading room: a touch screen, Scannx Book Scan Center 11x14 inch scanner and an Epson Perfection V750 Pro 8.5x11 scanner. 

  • For use of the Scannx station, please bring a thumb drive or have an active Google Drive to which you can save your scans.

  • For use of the Epson scanner, please bring a laptop with a USB port and scanning software (e.g. Mac OS Image Capture or the free Epson scanner driver).

  • Some reproductions can only be done by staff due to fragility, size, or format. Prior to making self-scans, please check with Archives’ staff to ensure the materials can be scanned.

  • Researchers making self-scans should use one document at a time, returning the document they are scanning to the appropriate folder and box before making their next scan.

  • When scanning is completed, the researcher should check the flatbed scanner to ensure no documents have been left on the scanner.

  • We recommend that researchers make note of the folders and boxes from which they are making their scans.

  • All scans and reproductions should comply with our copyright and fair use guidelines.