Library

Welcome to the ISAW Library!

The ISAW Library is a world-class research library that supports the core academic areas represented by the ISAW faculty and students, as well as the interdisciplinary, cross-boundary approach to the ancient world that lies at the center of ISAW's intellectual mission. Particular areas of strength therefore include: Greek and Roman material culture and history; Papyrology; Egyptology; Mesopotamian Archaeology and Assyriology; Central Asia and Iran; and Early China. 

We invite anyone who has a need to consult the ISAW Library collection to come visit us during regular business hours (Mon.-Fri., 9 AM-5 PM, except University holidays; for more information about access, please see Hours and Access). 

As an extension of its mission, the ISAW Library also provides access to and support for new and emerging forms of digital scholarship, scholarly communication, and pedagogy in ancient studies. Several of our current digital projects seek to develop electronic resources for the study of ancient world, as, for example, through the Ancient World Digital Library (AWDL) and the Digital Central Asian Archaeology (DCAA) collection.

The Library is located on four floors of the building, with three floors of movable stacks and one of carrels for graduate students. Space outside the stack core includes work space for visitors and for library staff. Circulation on the third floor and the reading rooms on floors four and five are accessible via an elevator. Our stacks are open but only accessible by stairs. Library staff at circulation are available to assist researchers with using the catalog and paging materials.

The ISAW Library collection is searchable via Bobcat, the catalog of print and electronic resources of NYU Libraries, including audio and video. NYU students, staff and faculty should remember to sign in for additional personalized services, including access to online resources on or off campus.

For help locating scholarly materials about the ancient world at ISAW, NYU and the metropolitan region, please visit the Finding Resources tab, and for more information about our workspace, services, and policies, please visit Using the Library. 

The ISAW Library sponsors occasional events and you may follow our progress on the ISAW Library Blog, Instagram, and Bluesky @isawlibrary.bsky.social