Using the Reading Room

While the Recorded Sound Research Center does not require appointments, researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the center prior to visiting. Most of our collections are stored offsite. Before you visit, we will likely need to have recordings digitized you need and made available to our workstations in the reference center. While our engineers have digitized hundreds of thousands of recordings, there is still a high likelihood that any individual recording will need to be digitized for a researcher's listening session. This process usually takes 10 days.

The Recorded Sound Research Center provides desks, overhead scanners and copying machines, and access to computer terminals and microfilm scanners and readers. Most desks have electrical ports.

Because most collections are stored offsite, researchers will need to schedule an appointment to access materials.

Recording

Recording equipment of any type is not allowed in the viewing room. Photographing images from the screen for reference purposes will be permitted only when authorized in advance by our reference staff.

Reader Identification Card

Users of the Recorded Sound Research Center are each required to have a Reader Identification Card issued by the Library. Request a research appointment.