Library Policies

Visitors are expected to

• Treat others with dignity and respect.
• Be mindful of the personal space and boundaries of others.
• Refrain from threatening, harassing, discriminatory, abusive, or disruptive behavior.
• Avoid behavior that interferes with others or with NYAM programs, services, or activities.
• Treat NYAM’s building, collections, and property with care.
• Follow staff and security instructions and requirements for accessing specific floors, spaces, programs, or activities.

Registration

• All readers must make an appointment to use library materials. Please contact us at least three business days before your desired appointment time.
• NYAM reserves the right to inspect all parcels and bags brought into the building.

Library Item Requests

• Readers do not have access to browse or retrieve materials because most are shelved in closed stacks. A librarian will explain how to discover materials you wish to consult and what information is needed to page them for your use.
• Requests for materials should be made at least three business days in advance by email to [email protected] or by phone to (212) 822-7315.
• Requests made on site cannot always be accommodated.

Use of Materials

• Only pencils and paper, laptops or tablets are permitted at the reader tables for notetaking. Pencils and acid-free marker strips are available in the reading rooms.
• Readers will consult with a librarian to determine a reasonable number of items to request at one time.
• Materials should be handled with great care. Do not rest papers, other books, or hands on the items while working; books should not be held in one’s lap, against the edge of a table, or on other books.
• Use the book stands, cradles, and weights provided.
• Hands should be clean before materials are handled. Do not use hand sanitizer.
• For especially fragile items, the librarian may provide a spatula or other device to assist with turning the pages.
• If pages are unopened, ask for assistance.
• If original materials are too fragile for use, librarians reserve the right to offer readers access to full-text digital surrogates or other facsimiles, when available.  
• When using a manuscript collection, keep materials in their original order. Place a marker where the folder was removed and return the folder to that location.
• Do not mark, fold, or disarrange the papers or use them as a base for writing notes. Do not attempt to remove clips or staples from any of the pages; ask for assistance.
• Inform the librarian if you are leaving the room for any reason. Under no circumstances may materials be removed from the Reading room.
• Please notify the librarian if you discover any damaged or disordered material.
• Readers should inform the librarian when they are ready to leave. Readers may consult with the librarian about holding materials for future use. 
• Librarians are available for consultation about research and the use of catalogs, finding aids and other discovery tools. We welcome your questions. 

Copy and Print Services

• Library patrons may take pictures, with a camera or phone without flash, of books, manuscripts and other items for personal research use at no charge. Librarians may refuse patrons permission to photograph materials if doing so would cause damage to fragile items.
• Many pre-1927 materials are freely available as full-text digital surrogates.  Patrons are encouraged to use available surrogates instead of asking for scans of the Library’s copies. Librarians can help patrons locate digital surrogates.
• There are no publicly available photocopy machines in the library. Library staff members make all reproductions. See below for fees and additional information.

• Both reference photocopies and high-resolution reproductions are available. Additional fees may apply for high-resolution images.
• A maximum of 50 continuous pages from any book or journal may be reproduced. If the copies constitute the majority of a work in copyright, we may allow fewer than 50 continuous pages.
• Permission to reproduce materials does not constitute permission to publish. Please consult the Rights and Permissions policy below for detailed information about permission to publish, and for information about fees and digital reproductions.

Computers and Wireless

Library computers may be used for research only.

The New York Academy of Medicine provides free wifi access for members and guests. To access wifi on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) connect to the Academy network. Login information is posted in the reading rooms.

Disclaimers and Limitations

• Wireless Internet access is provided with no guarantee and no warranty.
• Data transfer through the wireless network is not encrypted and may be monitored, captured, or altered by others. You are responsible for the safety and security of the data you send and receive over this network.
• The New York Academy of Medicine Library assumes no responsibility for the protection of personal patron equipment or for laptop configurations, security, or data files.
• The Library is not able to provide technical support and is free of responsibility in regard to patrons’ computers or other equipment used in accessing the wireless network.
• At its sole discretion, The New York Academy of Medicine Library may terminate this public access at any time and without prior notice.
• Printing is not available via the wireless network.
• Self-provided headphones will be required for patrons listening to audio content inside the Library.
• In using the free wireless Internet access, the patron agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless, The New York Academy of Medicine Board, administration, employees and any affiliate, from any damage that may result from the use of the network.
• The Internet and its available resources may contain material of a controversial nature. No one is permitted to access obscenity or child pornography in the library or to use the Internet for any illegal purpose. Staff will actively intervene when they observe such behavior or it is brought to their attention.

Rights and Permissions

Guidelines for Granting and Securing Permission to Publish for Materials Held at The New York Academy of Medicine Library

Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from The New York Academy of Medicine Library.

Procedures

1. All requests for permission to publish reproductions of materials held in the NYAM Library must be submitted in writing to the Reference Librarian for Historical Collections with a clear and detailed explanation of intended use. Each request should include the author, title, publisher, anticipated date of publication and the size of the print run. For non-print works, the request should include the anticipated date of appearance.

2. Permission to reproduce materials copyrighted or owned by The New York Academy of Medicine is limited to one-time, non-exclusive use in a book, periodical, newspaper, or the production of a television program or motion picture. The NYAM Library acknowledges that as the world of publishing changes publishers sometimes request to use images in additional products, such as electronic editions and websites, associated with the publication of a particular item. Arrangements can be made for reproductions that are published in multiple formats at the same time. Use beyond the original terms of the agreement (such as the publication of a new edition of a book) requires a new permission to use request.

3. The collection of the NYAM Library contains materials for which the Academy does not control the rights of reproduction. Applicants seeking permission to publish these materials must assume responsibility for identifying the holder of copyright and for securing the appropriate permission.

4. Each published image should carry the credit statement “Courtesy of The New York Academy of Medicine Library.”

5. The Library requests a complimentary copy of each publication in which an image from the collections appears.

6. Permission requests are processed as quickly as possible, but normally require a minimum of two weeks.

7. The Library reserves the right to refuse any request and to impose such conditions as it may deem advisable in order to protect the interests of the Library and its materials.

Fees

For non-profit organizations and individuals, a fee of $50.00 will be assessed for one-time, non-exclusive use of each image to which the Library holds reproduction rights or a permission to use fee will be assessed for each image that is part of the Library’s collection. For commercial organizations, a fee of $100.00 will be assessed. Reduced fees may be negotiated for individual requests involving multiple images. Fees for the use of images cover both the time involved to research images and the work involved in creating the reproductions themselves.