Conducting research in Special Collections is by appointment only and requires a Formal Application to Research the Archival Collections that must include a resume or CV and a brief description of the research project. The Special Collections Department may be contacted at (212) 769-5420 or via e-mail at: speccol@amnh.org. Reference inquiries regarding the Archives, Manuscript and Photographic Print Collections may be sent to speccol@amnh.org but please note that Library staff are only able to answer questions that require minimal research, and response time may be up to four weeks.
Please note that some of the Museum’s Scientific Departments maintain their own archives. These collections include materials such as field notebooks, personal papers, departmental records, photographic prints, slides and digital images. To inquire about conducting research in Museum Scientific Departmental archives, contact the specific department. Go to http://research.amnh.org for links to each department's site and contact information. The Division of Anthropology also has over 175,000 ethnological objects from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas that have been digitally imaged and are accessible through their Collections Database. The Division of Anthropology also houses approximately 670 linear feet of archival material, dating from the 1890's to the present.
You must schedule an appointment to view materials from this collection. Please contact Special Collections by phone: (212) 769-5420, fax: (212) 769-5009, or e-mail: speccol@amnh.org. Museum staff with borrowing privileges can also borrow films that are in VHS or DVD format from the Library. Patrons without borrowing privileges may be able to borrow the film via inter-library loan from their local university or public library. Please check with your local library to see if this service is available. Science Bulletins are not available for viewing in the Library. You may view Science Bulletins online at http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins/.
Both the general public and Museum staff should contact Special Collections to make an appointment to conduct research in the collection. All research inquiries require a Formal Application to Research the Archival Collections (This application is in Portable Document Format [PDF] so you must download Adobe Acrobat PDF reader in order to view and print it). The application must include information about the purpose of the research and a brief description of the project, as well as a copy of the resume or CV of the applicant. Upon approval, the applicant may set up an appointment to visit the Department. Please submit the application at least three (and preferably six) weeks in advance of the time that you would like to arrange a visit. The appointment will be confirmed in writing (via email or post); a copy of this confirmation along with a photo ID must be presented by the researcher upon arrival for the appointment. Please note that all research must be conducted by the researcher -- Special Collections staff do not provide this service but they are available to provide advice about how to conduct research.
Permission to examine archival collections will be granted subject to whatever restriction may have been placed on the manuscripts by donors or on institutional records by their American Museum of Natural History department or office of origin. For additional information about restrictions please contact the Special Collections Department.
Protection of archival material is essential to insure the availability of these materials for future generations.
The use of pens, portable copiers and scanners is prohibited. Pencils must be used for writing. Laptop computers and digital cameras without flash may be used. Materials must be viewed flat, with care, in their folders on the table and maintained in their original order. No marks, erasures, or tracings may be made on any material. The Library reserves the right to inspect articles brought into the area. Outerwear, briefcases, and any bag larger than this sheet of paper must be stored in the designated lockers. Only pencil and paper may be brought to the table. There is no smoking, eating, drinking, or gum chewing allowed in any part of the Library.
Permission to obtain copies of materials from the archives and manuscripts collection will be granted upon written application by the user, subject to any restrictions that may govern the use of the collection and the need to preserve fragile materials that may be damaged by copying. The reproduction of material from the Archives is for your sole use in research or private study, and is provided as a convenience for scholars. Therefore, this material must not be transferred to another individual or institution, without the written permission from the Museum Research Library.
The researcher is responsible for conforming to copyright and other applicable statutes. The American Museum of Natural History is not necessarily the owner of copyrights of unpublished manuscripts in its collections and that permission to publish must be obtained from the owners, the Museum, or otherwise. Separate application for permission to quote or to publish materials must be made to Special Collections. In the interest of ongoing research, we request that a copy of the publication in which the quotations or images will appear be sent for deposit in the Library. To cite our Archival Collections, please see the our Preferred Citation for Archival Collections Document.
Please refer to our Reproduction & Digitization Services page for details about services we provide and associated fees.
Please refer to our Permission & Licensing Services page for details about services we provide and associated fees.