Sherman Fairchild Reading Room

The Reading Room serves researchers needing to access the Morgan's rare and reference materials. Researchers are welcome to set up an appointment to study items from the Morgan's collection.

The Morgan’s collection of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings, and other works of art comprise a unique record of civilization, as well as an incomparable repository of ideas and the creative process.

The Morgan makes collection items as accessible as possible, within the limits set by their rarity and fragility. There is also a large reference collection, including facsimiles, microfilms, and bibliographic works that are not readily available elsewhere. Neither rare nor reference material held by the Morgan circulates.

Yes. The Reading Room is open by appointment and free of charge. We accommodate as many readers as possible each day but space is limited. We recommend that readers request appointments four to six weeks in advance of their preferred dates. Please note each reader is required to fill out a separate application.

Reading Room and Museum hours differ, please check the visitor information page.

The Reading Room is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10AM–4PM. We are closed Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as well as on the following holidays:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Indigenous Peoples' Day / Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day and the following day

Christmas Eve through New Year's Eve* We will be reopening after the holiday on Jan 6, 2026

Complete and submit the online application. Please provide a detailed description of your research. Most collection items are fragile, valuable, and irreplaceable. Readers should be prepared to explain why their project requires physical examination of the material they wish to consult.

In the final section of the application, list the items you are requesting, taking the information from our online catalog, CORSAIR; see section 6 below. Access to rare material is not granted without curatorial approval. If the condition of an item requires it, readers will be asked to use secondary materials, such as facsimiles or microfilms, before or in lieu of examining the original.

If you have sent an application within the previous twelve months you do not, unless your personal information or your project has changed. An appointment, however, is always required.

Digital photography for study purposes only may be permitted. Please indicate in your application that you would like to take photographs and review the Reading Room's digital photography policy.

The Morgan Library & Museum does not participate in Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Please complete an application to access rare and reference materials in the Reading Room for study.

For exhibition loans, please refer to our Guidelines for Requesting Loans. Information on obtaining photography from our Department of Imaging & Rights may be found here.

The Morgan Library & Museum cannot provide appraisals of rare items. You may wish to consult:

• Your Old Books, Association of Research Libraries, American Library Association. "This guide covers some frequently asked questions about rare books and book values."
• The Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America publishes an annual membership directory. It includes subject and geographical indices to help you contact the booksellers who might be of assistance.

As an independent library for researchers and scholars, the Morgan cannot provide general reference services. For general reference questions, you may wish to consult your local public library or these Internet resources:

• The Library of Congress (Ask a Librarian)
• The New York Public Library (Ask a Librarian)

No, conducting research in the Reading Room is free of charge. Please refer to items #2 and #4.

• Readers must wash their hands thoroughly before entering the Reading Room; there is a sink in the foyer for this purpose.
• Readers may not touch written, decorated, or painted surfaces of rare items. Taking tracings or rubbings is not permitted.
• Readers should refrainfrom wearing fingernail polish (including gel, shellac, and clear polish, as well as other nail accoutrements including acrylic or silk nail extensions), as they can leave residue on or damage rare or reference materials.
• Readers should be aware of long hair, scarves, or jewelry dragging across any rare or reference materials if they are looking closely and if they are wearing these while visiting.
• Reading Room staff delivers all requested items to readers at their tables and collects them when readers are finished.
• Guidelines for handling specific types of material will be distributed in the Reading Room.
• Lockers in the Reading Room foyer (measuring 12 in. H x 17 in. W x 21 in. D) can accommodate personal items not allowed in the Reading Room proper. The following items may not be brought into the Reading Room:
  • Bags, backpacks, briefcases, purses
  • Suitcases, duffel bags
  • Cases (e.g. for computers and cameras)
  • Cell phones, unless muted or turned off
  • Coats, hats
  • Guests
  • Food, drinks, gum, candy
  • Pens, markers, highlighters
• All personal belongings are subject to inspection and search upon entering and exiting the Reading Room
• As a courtesy and respect for other readers, visitors, and staff we ask researchers feeling unwell or under the weather to kindly e-mail or call us immediately to cancel or reschedule their appointments.

The use of UV lights is not permitted in the Reading Room. Facilities for UV examination can be requested in advance, but cannot be guaranteed. If your research requires UV examination, please include this request with your application, with a detailed explanation of need. Last-minute requests will not be accommodated.

No external equipment other than a personal digital camera (see Digital Photography Policy) is allowed in the Reading Room while conducting research. The use of micrometers, calipers or other similar tools requiring direct contact with research materials is not permitted.