~ The New York Public Library ~

Updated 11 September 2006

Address: Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, Room 121, The New York Public Library, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Fifth Avenue & 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788

Directions: No onsite parking available.

Hours: Tues. - Wed. 11 - 7:30; Thurs. - Sat. 10-6

World Wide Web: http://www.nypl.org

Phone: (212) 930-0828

Fax: No fax number available for general reference questions.

E-Mail: http://www.nypl.org/research/eref/hssl/ereflhg.cfm

Collection Scope: Local and state histories cover all the U.S., while family histories are international in scope and include foreign-language materials.

Special Collections: Many manuscript and typescript volumes not found elsewhere.

Library Catalog: http://catnyp.nypl.org/ More than six million records are online. Some older items and government documents are not yet in the online catalog, but are being cataloged retrospectively.

Reference Services: The staff will perform limited research in response to e-mail or mail requests. For example, they will "look up names in published indexes, check census maps for New York City census districts [or] look for an individual in up to three years of city directories." They cannot search National Archives microfilm indexes and census schedules or passenger lists. The library also provides a fee-based research service called NYPL Express for $75 per hour plus expenses. See http://www.nypl.org/express/ for fees and an order form. For more information, contact them at express@nypl.org, phone (212) 592-7207 or fax (212) 592-7215.

Guides: www.nypl.org/research/chss/lhg/genea.html

Copies: Self-service photocopies are 20 cents per page (15 cents per page with a vendacard). Photocopies of fragile items must be made by a staff member and cost 40 cents per page. Copies printed from computer databases are 20 cents per page.  NYPL Express provides photocopies in response to mail, phone, fax and e-mail requests. See www.nypl.org/express/doc_serve.html for fees and an order form. An article up to ten pages long costs $15 plus a minimum of $3 for postage and handling and possible copyright charges. Additional pages cost 25 cents each.

Circulation: This is a research library and materials may not be checked out.

Interlibrary Loan: Materials may be lent to other members of the Research Libraries Group.

Thanks to Ruth Carr, Chief of the United States History, Local History and Genealogy Division, New York Public Library, for help in preparing this library profile.

© 2006 Rick Crume