Login

Helphelp

Research

Alumni, guests, & other borrowers

    1. CUNY Graduate Center PhD and Master's alumni may visit and borrow from the Grad Center library collection after graduation. Obtain a new GC alumni photo ID from the Office of Security & Public Safety (x7769, x 7777), room 9123. By agreement of the CUNY Council of Chief Librarians, CUNY alumni have access to their home campuses only.

      Library databases are available to Graduate Center alumni up to one year following graduation if the GC computer network user account is current. One year after graduation, access to library electronic resources is allowed from the library only, not from off-campus.

      Borrowing periods and fines are outlined in the Grad Center Library Loan & Fine Chart. For CUNY-wide loan, renewal, and fine schedules, see CUNY Library Borrowing Policies.

      Off-campus database access for non-GC affiliates The New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Public Library offer a variety of online resources for registered users off-site. The New York State Library also licenses databases for remote use by New York State residents.

    2. Library Research Assistants may borrow materials from the GC library on a sponsoring GC faculty member's library account. GC faculty and HEOs may sponsor up to 2 research assistants by filling out faculty authorization forms (available at the 1st floor library circulation desk). The sponsoring faculty member is responsible for all loans, including fines and fees. Library Research Assistants may be non-CUNY affiliates.

    3. Visiting Research Scholars (including Fulbright Scholars and Hunter e-permit scholars) must obtain a letter from a sponsoring program Executive Officer to the Graduate Center's Provost's Office (x7243) for status as a Visiting Research Scholar and a GC photo ID issued by Office of Security & Public Safety (x7769, x7777) in room 9123. This ID then must be presented to the GC library circulation desk for GC borrowing priviliges. The ID must also be presented to the GC Information Technology Help Desk (Concourse level, x7300) for GC computer network and off-campus library database access.

      Short-term (1-7 days) visiting scholars with a letter to the GC Chief Librarian (x7060) and the endorsement of a GC Executive Officer approved by the Provost may under justifiable circumstances by offered a Visitor Pass with GC Library access and no borrowing privileges. Visitors with a non-photo paper pass must bring additional photo ID for library access.

    4. Visiting students, special program students, auditors, and non-matriculated students obtain approval from a sponsoring program Executive Officer with a letter to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs (x7400). Under justifiable circumstances, visiting students receive a GC Visiting Student photo ID issued by Office of Security & Public Safety (x7769, x7777) in room 9123. Present the current GC photo ID to the GC library circulation desk for GC borrowing privileges only.

    5. Students arriving before open registration may obtain a temporary GC photo ID with a letter from a Graduate Center Department EO or APO on Graduate Center letterhead delivered to the Office of Security and Public Safety (x7769, x7777) room 9123 for a temporary GC photo ID. Present the ID at the GC library circulation desk for GC borrowing privileges only. Temporary photo IDs will expire after registration period is closed; students must replace it with a permanent GC photo ID once registration is complete.

    6. Students on an approved leave of absence may obtain a letter from their program Executive Officer to the Office of Security and Public Safety room 9123 for a Temporary CUNY GC photo ID. The Executive Officer must provide an expiration date within the current academic term for access to the library and building, but no borrowing privileges.

    7. Inter-University Doctoral Consortium students from Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Rutgers, Princeton, SUNY Stonybrook obtain paperwork from the Registrar's Office or program Executive Officer to submit Office of Security & Public Safety (x7769, x7777) in room 9123. Present the current GC photo ID to the GC library circulation desk for GC borrowing privileges only.

    8. CUNY Graduate Center Language Reading Program students must obtain a CUNY GC photo ID with a letter from administrators of the reading program to the Office of Security & Public Safety (x7769, x7777) in room 9123 to obtain Graduate Center borrowing privileges.

    9. CUNY Graduate Center School of Professional Studies students with CUNY GC photo IDs receive 2-week borrowing privileges from all CUNY libraries, limit 10 items per borrower. SPS students must obtain a CUNY photo ID from the Graduate Center Office of Security and Public Safety (x7769, x7777) room 9123. Borrowing is permitted on-site only; no intra-CUNY borrowing (CLICS) service is offered. SPS students are not offered GC network accounts. No off-campus access to library resources is offered to SPS students, but onsite access is welcome.

    10. Non-CUNY visitors may obtain a METRO referral card from most NYC Metro area libraries for one-time onsite access and use of specified GC holdings; no borrowing is permitted. Metro card visitors must request access to an item unavailable in their home libraries and public library network. Similarly, Graduate Center 2nd floor librarians may refer users to non-CUNY libraries with a Metro referral card.

    11. Children must be accompanied by an adult with valid identification for admission.

    12. A Graduate Center Library Associates membership and a Friends of the Graduate Center membership offers on-site access to and borrowing privileges at the Graduate Center library, in recognition of varying amounts of support. Off-campus access to databases is not possible for non-CUNY donors given the structure of licensing agreements.

    13. A GC Library Introduction Card with Graduate Center library borrowing privileges may be obtained under rare circumstances with letter to the Chief Librarian (x7060, x7071) and approval by the Provost's Office (x7243). Holders of this paper pass must bring additional photo ID for access to the building.

    14. A CUNY Libraries Open Access card and valid college ID are required for 7-day CUNY-wide library borrowing, offered if local CUNY library registration is not possible. Students currently enrolled in SUNY's Empire State College students are granted the same borrowing privileges as CUNY students. They should be issued a CUNY Open Access card with a generic barcode with an expiration date at the end of the semester.