Library Policies
Check-out procedure for ISAW items
Circulation polices for Bobst books
Check-out procedure for ISAW items
Although the ISAW Library's in-house collection does not circulate outside of the building, students, scholars, and faculty members are permitted to check out materials to their workspaces. The ISAW Library utilizes a manual checkout procedure. When removing an item from the stacks, patrons are required to leave a check-out card in place of the item on the shelf. Check-out cards are located on the third floor of the library and in the reading rooms on the fourth and fifth floors. Patrons are expected to supply all requested information. If you have questions about the check-out procedure, please ask a member of the ISAW library staff for assistance.
When you are finished with material from the ISAW Library collection, patrons are asked not to reshelve items themselves. Instead, they should be brought to the circulation desk on the third floor or left on one of the book carts in the reading rooms.
A small portion of the ISAW Library's collection is housed in offsite storage. Unlike our in-house collection, these offsite items can circulate outside of the building provided they are checked out to your NYU library account. They can be requested via Bobcat using the same procedure used for requesting Bobst books.
Circulation polices for Bobst books
ISAW patrons can request circulating books held by NYU’s Bobst Library to be delivered to the ISAW Library. To make a request, you must be logged in to BobCat with your NYU NetID. Once logged in, you will see a “Request” button next to the item record for circulating items. Under “Request options,” be sure to selected ISAW as your pickup location. Items typically arrive from Bobst within 1-3 business days, and you will receive an e-mail notifying you when your item is available for pickup at the ISAW Library circulation desk.
For Fall 2021, materials requested for delivery will be brought directly to your office or carrel. If your office is locked, materials will be placed in a bag marked with your name on the Contactless Pickup shelves on the 3rd floor.
Transit times for all materials requested for delivery may be longer than usual. Patrons may also only have a limited number of open requests for materials in-transit from Bobst. These limits can be overridden, so please contact ISAW-Library@nyu.edu if you are unable to request an item.
Non-circulating materials, including books from Bobst’s Reference collections, the Fales Library, and the Tamiment Library, cannot be requested.
Due to the space limitations of the various NYU library buildings, much of the material in the NYU collection is stored off-site. These items may be requested using the same procedure as for books housed inside Bobst, but they will typically take 1-2 days longer to arrive at ISAW.
If you need a book that is checked out to another patron, it is recommended that you look for a circulating copy in the E-ZBorrow system. If no copy is available, you may request a recall on the book by inquiring at the circulation desk on the third floor. Once the recall request is made, the patron who currently has the book checked out will be given 14 days to return it. Upon its return to Bobst, it will be sent to ISAW and put on the hold shelf.
Items from the Bobst and IFA collections as well as E-Z Borrow and ILL books can be returned directly to the ISAW Library circulation desk.
To request an item that is not held in the NYU collections, patrons should first look for circulating copies in the PALCI E-ZBorrow system. E-ZBorrow materials are generally delivered more quickly than Interlibrary Loan (ILL). When making a request, be sure to select ISAW as your delivery location. E-Z Borrow items typically arrive within 3-5 business days. You will receive an e-mail when your item arrives at ISAW.
If a desired item is not available through either NYU or E-ZBorrow, an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Request can be submitted using the online request form in the Bobst Interlibrary Loan Request System. This can be found under the Services tab on the NYU Library website, or by clicking this link. Log in to your account using your University NetID and password. Before submitting a request, please check both BobCat and E-ZBorrow for circulating copies. You may place ILL requests for items that are checked out or otherwise unavailable from New York University or consortium libraries. When completing the ILL request form, be sure to select ISAW as your delivery location. ILL books typically arrive within two weeks. You will receive an e-mail when your item is sent from Bobst to ISAW, and a separate e-mail when it arrives and is available at the ISAW circulation desk.
More information about the ILL process is available in the "Services" section of the NYU Libraries website.
There are study carrels in the ISAW Library on the third floor and reading rooms on the fourth and fifth floors. All study carrels on the third floor are assigned to ISAW students and scholars, and may not be used by visitors. The reading rooms are intended for quiet study and should not be used for group meetings. In the ISAW building, the spaces appropriate for group meetings are located on the second floor (Seminar Room, Oak Library) and on the sixth floor (Conference Rooms). These must be booked in advance.
An overhead book scanner is located on the fifth floor in the ISAW Library. Patrons are able to save scanned images to a USB flash drive, send the files to an email address or Google Drive, or upload them into a smartphone wirelessly. Please be courteous of other patrons and limit your time using the scanner to 15 minutes or less if other patrons are waiting to use it.
Also in the fifth floor reading room of the ISAW Library, patrons have access to a kiosk computer equipped with a flatbed scanner for documents. A slide scanner for digitizing 35mm slides is available for special projects; please consult with the IT Office on the sixth floor.
When using the scanners, patrons are asked to abide by NYU's Educational and Research Uses of Copyrighted Materials Policy Statement.
The library has an additional kiosk computer for patron use on the third floor at the circulation desk. This computer is primarily intended for access to BobCat and other library services.
The library does not have a photocopier or printer available for patron use.
ISAW Library collections are 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 - this will allow you access to online resources whether you are on or off campus.
The staff of the ISAW Library is available to provide library orientations, assistance in locating specific materials, in-depth research consultations, and referrals to other units within the Division of Libraries for additional support.
For an introduction to the NYU Library system, the ISAW Library staff recommends that students, scholars and new faculty members attend one of the orientation classes offered at Bobst Library. Information about the orientation sessions offered at Bobst is available on the NYU Libraries website.
For more details on NYU library services, see the Services section of the NYU Libraries ebsite.
The ISAW Library has a small collection of antiquarian books related to ancient studies. The majority of these books are kept in locked cases in the Oak Room on the second floor. They are available for short-term use, but must be returned to the circulation desk at least fifteen minutes prior to closing, and may not be checked out to workspaces, carrels, or offices. To access a book in the Antiquarian Collection, please inquire at the circulation desk on the third floor.
Food and uncovered beverages are not permitted in the library. Beverages with secure covers are allowed in the reading rooms, but are not permitted near library equipment (computers, scanners, etc.) or in the stacks. Please exercise care and caution with beverages.