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New-York Historical Society Library Department records

Call Number

NYHS-RG 21

Date

1815-2018, inclusive

Creator

New-York Historical Society

Extent

194.71 Linear feet in 340 boxes of various sizes and 54 shelved volumes

Language of Materials

The documents in the record group are in English.

Abstract

The New-York Historical Society Library Department records group includes a broad range of material related to the administration of the Library and its component sections, including the Reading Room, Manuscripts Department, Department of Prints, Photographs and Architecture (PPAC, often referred to as the Print Room), and the Conservation Lab. The subject matter spans the entire breadth of the Library's activities: acquisition of materials for the collection, curatorial and conservation surveys and assessments, collection inventorying and cataloging projects, in-house exhibitions and outgoing loans, and patron access and use of the collections.

Arrangement Note

The New-York Historical Society Library records are organized in the following series:

Series I. Collection Descriptions & Inventories (1815?-2003)

Series II. Acquisition Records (1962-2001)

Series III. General Office Files (1959-2009, bulk 1980s-2002)

Series IV. Librarian & Curatorial Files (1959-2013)

Series V. Exhibitions (1969-2011, bulk 1992-2001)

Series VI. Outgoing Loans (1960-1992, bulk 1979-1992)

Series VII. Board Library Committee Matters (RESTRICTED IN PART) (1950-2015)

Series VIII. Department of Prints, Photographs and Architecture (PPAC, a/k/a Print Room) (1940-2015, bulk 1970s-2013)

Series IX. Conservation (1989-2004)

Series X. Public Service (RESTRICTED IN PART) (1829-2011)

Scope and Contents Note

The New-York Historical Society Library Department records group includes a broad range of material related to the administration of the Library and its component sections, including the Reading Room, Manuscripts Department, Department of Prints, Photographs and Architecture (PPAC, often referred to as the Print Room), and the Conservation Lab. The subject matter spans the entire breadth of the Library's activities: acquisition of materials for the collection, curatorial and conservation surveys and assessments, collection inventorying and cataloging projects, in-house exhibitions and outgoing loans, and patron access and use of the collections.

The record group includes correspondence and memos, surveys, management reports, statistical information, policies, planning documents, budgets, appraisals, acquisitions (purchase, donation) and sales, contracts, visitor registers, grant applications and project implementation files, exhibition files (e.g., checklists, loan agreements, label texts), cataloging worksheets, and conservation reports. Most of these records date from the last three decades of the twentieth century and into the early twenty-first century (see the Related Materials Note for most earlier documents). An exception to this are the visitor registers; though there are sizable gaps in the nineteenth century, these records date from as early as 1838. The record group also holds nineteenth century admission tickets and calling cards used to introduce and permit non-members to use library resources.

The record group holds an array of collection descriptions and inventories compiled for various purposes over time, and these range from throughout N-YHS's history. For example, there is a circa 1826 inventory of maps, John Delafield's 1833 manuscript-form catalogue of the books in the library, the 1941 inventories of material sent off-site for storage during World War II, and a card catalog of comic books deaccessioned in the 1970s. Most of these inventories were prepared by N-YHS staff, but some in the record group were prepared by the collection donor or other outside party, such as the inventory of the Lathrop Colgate Harper Spanish-American War Collection distributed by Harper's estate.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers, though some material is restricted. N-YHS restricts Board of Trustee and Executive Office files for 50 years following the departure of a President and Chief Executive Officer. This restriction pertains to portions of this record group. Also, the records related to patron research inquiries are restricted for a time. Any restrictions are further described in an Access Restrictions Note at the relevant series level.

The bulk of the material is stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation Note

This collection should be cited as the New-York Historical Society Library Department records (NYHS-RG 21), The New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

The bulk of the material is stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Related Archival Materials Note

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the New-York Historical Society archives. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the New-York Historical Society Archives (NYHSRG Archives). Other record groups that are processed and available to researchers and are especially related to the New-York Historical Society Library Department records (NYHS-RG 21) are as follows:

The N-YHS governance level minute books and so-called official papers include much material concerning N-YHS's library matters, especially with regard to acquisitions. For years through 1938, see: New-York Historical Society management committee records (NYHS-RG 1). For years subsequent to 1938, see New-York Historical Society Board of Trustees records (NYHS-RG 18).

Library accessions were documented in ledgers from 1841-1962, with gaps. See New-York Historical Society collection accession registers (NYHS-RG 15).

N-YHS's central correspondence files include documents relating to all aspects of NYHS operations, including the library, from the institution's earliest days to 1982. The correspondence includes acquisitions, early reference inquiries, and other matters. See New-York Historical Society general correspondence (NYHS-RG 2). Some acquisition correspondence, especially related to bequests, but also gifts and some purchases, was placed with legal records; see New-York Historical Society legal matters (NYHS-RG 16).

The longtime assistant to Librarian Alexander Wall, Dorothy Barck was Librarian from 1942-1954. Her records are found in New-York Historical Society Librarian Dorothy C. Barck records (NYHS-RG 19).

There are many connections between N-YHS's library and museum, including collaborations on exhibitions, the transfer of the Department of Prints, Photographs and Architecture to the museum (1989) and back (1998), coordination of outgoing loans, and other matters. See New-York Historical Society Museum Department records (NYHS-RG 20).

Accruals Note

Accruals to the record group were added subsequent to the major 2016 processing of the record group and additional accruals are expected over time.

Collection processed by

Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:50:50 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Processing Information Note

Various portions of records from the Library Department were physically processed during the early 1990s to the early 2000s, mostly in terms of compiling related material together in boxes and refoldering some documents to archival folders. In the fall of 2016, project archivist Larry Weimer established an overarching arrangement for all the Library Department records in the archive, added new material, and completed a baseline inventory and finding aid for the entire record group. Certain steps were taken with the material in 2016, including the refinement of the physical arrangement of folders and re-boxing, in order to facilitate its use by researchers, but an overall minimal level of physical processing was implemented. Consequently, most of the material remains in its original folders and unarranged within folders.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024