All visitors are asked to register for a Special Collections Research Account. With this account you will be able to request materials so we can circulate them to you in the reading room. During registration, you will accept the Rules and Regulations of using Special Collections and fill out a brief form.

We recommend that you request materials in advance of your visit. When requested, they will appear in your Special Collections Research Account with a status of Awaiting Request Processing or Awaiting Patron Arrival at Mudd. You will not receive any further notifications from us as we do not page materials in advance of your visit. Once you've placed your request, you are welcome to visit either Firestone or Mudd during our operating hours. We will page your materials at that time. 

Library Catalog - for books and other catalogued items

Finding Aids Database - for archival and manuscript material

Special Collections LibGuides - if you are having trouble with your search, there may be a LibGuide to help you.

All researchers can check in at a desk upon arrival at the libraries. At Firestone, this is the Access Desk located to the left of the turnstiles in the lobby. At Mudd Library, this is the front desk just inside the building. Princeton researchers will be asked to show their Tiger Card. Non-Princeton researchers will be asked to show a photo ID such as a driver's license or academic/work ID when they arrive. At Firestone, researchers will then be issued an ID Card which will make it easy upon subsequent visits to enter the library's turnstiles. For Mudd Library, while it is not required, we do recommend making your way to Firestone Library to obtain an ID Card as it will ease future visits. Should you not obtain an ID Card, you would need to show your photo ID at each visit to Mudd Library. If you would like to have the ID Card made in advance of your visit so it is ready when you arrive, you can fill out a Special Collections ID Card Application online. 

Building-specific information about accessibility can be found on the library's Disability and Accessibility Services page.

Each Special Collections reading room desk is equipped with a lamp. We have magnifiers and additional lighting options. Other aids can be made available as needed.

Three reading room desks at SC Mudd have the option of being sitting or standing.

If you have specific accommodation requests, please feel free to contact us in advance of your visit.

Researchers are welcome to bring pencils, laptops, tablets, phones, and cameras to assist them in their research. Please silence all digital devices and leave cases in your locker. We offer a number of supplies that may help you in your research including pencils, note paper, magnifying glasses, a light box, tape measures, and rulers. If you need to bring a book in with you for comparison purposes, please check in with a staff member upon your arrival.

Lockers - Personal belongings that are non-essential to research should be stored in one of our free, on-site lockers. Belongings include coats, hats, bags, pens, notebook paper, laptop cases, and the like.

To ensure the collections are available for research for all, we ask that you take care when handling them in the reading rooms. 

Manuscript Materials: Use one box at a time, and one folder at a time. Keep materials in their original order and flat on the table. Use two hands to handle all folders, manuscripts, photographs, prints, objects and brittle paper. Support materials by resting manuscripts directly on the table. If you believe materials are out of order, please ask for assistance from staff.

Bound Materials: Use provided foam wedges for all bound items. Open books and other objects only as far as they will open without force. Approved weights are available to keep materials open or flat. Staff will assist in providing support for materials when needed.

Clean, dry, gloveless hands are best. Please only use nitrile gloves when handling photographs, glass plates, slides and metal objects, otherwise, gloves are not necessary. Please keep photographs in their mylar coverings, and use gloves if photographs are not in mylar coverings.

Avoid marking, leaning on, altering, folding, tracing, or defacing materials.

We welcome researchers to use personal digital cameras, including cell phones and tablets, while researching in the Special Collections reading rooms. Physical condition, copyright concerns, donor restrictions, and other factors may limit or prohibit photography. Please see the access and use note of a collection’s finding aid or contact us through the Ask Special Collections form for more information on specific restrictions. For the majority of collections, there is no limit on the number of photographs a researcher may take of a collection or item while in the reading room. Any images you take are for personal research use only and may be subject to copyright law. Please visit the Special Collections Copyright, Credit and Citation Guidelines page.  

All researchers are asked to agree to the digital camera use policy when registering as a researcher in the Special Collections Reading Rooms.

NOTICE: Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or other reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse the use of a digital camera if, in its judgment, such use would involve a violation of copyright law. Further, the user agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Princeton University Library, and the Trustees of Princeton University against all claims, demands, costs and expenses incurred by copyright infringement or any other legal or regulatory cause of action arising from the use of the Library’s facilities or materials.

Guidelines

Researchers interested in taking photos should note the following guidelines:

• You may use a camera, cell phone, tablet or other device that can take a picture. Please leave any camera cases in your locker. If there is a camera restriction on a collection, you may be asked to return your camera, and any other device that can take a picture, including cell phones and tablets, to your locker outside of the reading room.
• All photography will be conducted using ambient lighting. No tripods, flash, or copy stands may be used. Audible features on the camera must be turned off. We also do not allow the use of personal scanners.
• For the longevity of the collection materials, we ask that you handle them properly and with care.
  • All materials must be kept on the table.
  • Bound volumes must be supported by a book cradle, unless otherwise instructed. No pressure beyond book weights, snakes, or other items provided by the Department may be applied to the bindings, text block, or any other materials.
  • Loose manuscript materials must remain in their folder and kept in order at all times. Fastened items may require special handling; please check with staff before proceeding.
  • Photographs and documents should remain in plastic sleeves. Please do not open sleeves or remove items from them. A staff member is available to assist you. 
• Researchers are welcome to take photographs at their assigned desks. We ask that you not stand on chairs, desks, or other equipment, hold items like foam or other equipment above the materials, or rearrange furniture to obtain a better image.
• Because these photographs are intended for personal research use only, please be aware that you may not be able to get publication quality images in the reading room. You may speak to a staff member about ordering digital images suitable for publication.
• It may be the case that materials not owned by Princeton, but obtained through Interlibrary Loan or as a Shared Collection through ReCAP, may be subject to other limitations placed on the materials by the holding institution. You may need to receive permission to photograph these materials ahead of your visit to the reading room. 
• It is the researcher’s responsibility to keep track of the location of the materials in the collections and provide citations where appropriate.
• No pictures may be taken of the room, staff, or other researchers.

When finished with your materials, please leave them at your station and alert staff. Prior to leaving, we will ask to check the personal belongings that were inside of the reading room for collection content.

Full details on travel options are found on the University's website, and an excellent transportation network of bus, rail, and highways puts Princeton within easy reach (an hour or less) of major urban centers. International airports are located in Philadelphia, Newark, and New York. Bus and train stations to these cities are adjacent to campus.

• Free Visitor Parking on campus
• Metered Parking
  • Firestone Library - Nassau Street
  • Mudd Library - Olden Street
  • Street meters are monitored by the town of Princeton, not the university. If you have a handicap placard or license plate, you do not need to feed the meter or leave after the allotted time specified on the meter. 

There are a variety of hotels, motels, inns, and bed and breakfast accommodations in the greater Princeton area. Few, however, are within walking distance. For more information about local hotels, see the Accommodations Guide for Princeton or this hotel listing by Princeton Online.