Humanities and Social Sciences Library > Collections & Reading Rooms > Berg Collection

Access to the Collection

The Berg Reading Room (Rm. 320, Third Floor) is open to the public Tuesday-Wednesday (11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.) and Thursday-Saturday (11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.). Material is not paged after 5:30 p.m. Though it is not necessary to make an appointment in order to use the Collection, it may speed and facilitate the retrieval of your requested materials if we know your arrival date and research topic. Upon arrival at the Library, please check your coat/outerwear (if you are sensitive to cold, please wear a sweater to the reading room), bags, computer carrying case, briefcase, umbrella, etc. in the cloakroom on the First Floor; these items are not allowed in the Reading Room. Your computer will be placed in the plastic bag for ease of transportation. If you have concerns about leaving your pocket book in the cloak room and cannot carry your wallet on your person, upon your arrival at the Berg they will be placed in a plastic bag and will be locked in a cabinet in the Reading Room.

From the cloakroom proceed to the Deborah, Jonathan F. P., Samuel Priest, and Adam R. Rose Main Reading Room (Third Floor, entrance through Rm. 315). There you will apply for an ACCESS card, which is required to use the Library’s General Collections and to obtain a Special Collections reader’s card.  Present your completed form and at least one ID containing a traceable number and a photograph of you. Your ACCESS card, which will be ready for your use within minutes. Please present it at the main reference desk in Room 315, where, you will explain why your research project requires you to use the Berg Collection’s holdings. If the interviewing staff member approves your request, you will sent to the Berg Collection. Upon your arrival at the Berg, please present your ACCESS card and other ID, and our staff will discuss with you your project and present you wth a Special Collections Reader’s Card for the Berg, for a defined period. This period may be extended, if necessary. Faculty members and graduate students should bring their university ID, as well as proof of address. Undergraduates must also bring a letter from their professor explaining why they must use Berg materials.

You may bring your own books and notebook into the Reading Room. Only pencils are allowed for writing. Laptops are permitted, and electrical outlets are available. Materials must be treated with care and used in accord with staff instructions.

Material from certain archives (including Jane Cooper, Kenneth Koch, and May Sarton) may be retrieved only twice a day (11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.), no more than five boxes per request. The list of these archives may be seen by clicking on this link. You may e-mail a retrieval request for the next day(s) to BergRef. Retrieval requests should not be made in advance of three days of your arrival (not including Sunday-Monday). Please note that on days when staff is short handed, only one retrieval trip, or even none, may be possible. Contacting the Berg prior to your visit is, therefore, advisable.

The Berg Collection was established for the use of scholars and researchers. Conservation concerns, as well as other demands on staff time, require that we limit the use of our materials to this group. We do, however, attempt to satisfy the general public’s interest in our holdings through interpretive exhibitions and group presentations. If your group (minimum 8 persons, maximum 20) would like to schedule a presentation with the Curator, please contact him (igewirtz@nypl.org).

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