Research Guides

Access & Borrowing

The Library is Open

The Library is open to currently enrolled CUNY students, CUNY faculty/staff, Graduate Center alumni*, SHARES affiliates, and members of Lp2. For visitors who do not fall into the above categories, please consult the Building Entry Matrix for guidance on what you will need. For any questions, please reach out to us at - library@gc.cuny.edu. We're happy to help out!

*Alumni: Please email library@gc.cuny.edu for guidelines about on-site access and the required pass.

To stay up to date about building entry policies, subscribe to the library blog and follow us on Twitter.

Admission Requirements

Note: The Graduate Center's COVID-19 policies require all library visitors to first be cleared for GC building entry. Please consult the GC's current building entry policy.

Once admitted to the Graduate Center building, those wishing to enter the library must meet one of the following requirements:

  1. CUNY Photo ID (student, faculty, staff, or retiree)
    with a current validation sticker or security staff check the library barcode for validation.
     
  2. Graduate Center Alumni Photo ID or CUNY BA Alumni ID
    Non-GC CUNY alumni have access to their home libraries only 

  3. Empire State College Photo ID
     
  4. A government-issued photo ID plus ID for:
    • Graduate Center Research Assistant
    • Friends of the Graduate Center
    • Library Associates
    • Language Reading Program
    • METRO Referral
       
  5. (Currently suspended due to COVID-19) Visitors must be accompanied by someone with a Graduate Center or School of Labor and Urban Studies Photo ID

     
  6. Graduate Center Photo ID required for:
    • Visiting Research Scholars
    • GC Research Assistants unaffiliated with the GC
    • Interuniversity Doctoral Consortium Columbia, Fordham, New School, NYU, Princeton, Rutgers, SUNY Stony Brook
       

  7. A valid photo ID issued by a SHARES Institution