Art researchers, rejoice! The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Watson Library (the main research library at the museum) now offers expanded access. To get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, take the Metro North to 125th Street in Manhattan and transfer to the 4/5/6 downtown trains.
Exit at 86th Street and walk east to Central Park and south to 82nd Street.
If you need any further information about getting to the museum or gaining access to Watson Library, please contact a reference librarian by emailing us at reference [at] slc.edu, or by following this link.
THOMAS J. WATSON LIBRARY at THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
MORE HOURS, NEW ACCESS
The Thomas J. Watson Library is now open to all visiting researchers who
are college-level (and above). Watson Library welcomes visiting
researchers wishing to do art historical or related research. The
library is now open more hours than ever before. Our new hours are
Tuesday-Thursday: 9:30 am – 5:15 pm (paging until 4:00 pm)
Friday: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm (paging until 4:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The library is closed on Mondays, national holidays, Election Day, and
the day after Thanksgiving, and closes at 3:00 pm on the Friday before
holiday weekends (call 212 650-2225 to verify).
Please bring a photo ID to register to use the library (required).
Please check all bags (larger than 9 x 12 x 3 inches), coats, totes,
backpacks, etc. (including laptop cases) in the Great Hall coatcheck or
at the 81st St. entrance before visiting the library. Museum admission
is waived if you request a pass to use the Watson Library at the
Reception Desk at the 82nd St. entrance.
WATSONLINE, the online catalog of the Museum’s libraries, is available
at http://library.metmuseum.org, which also provides links to
information about library services and research guidance.
Services provided include reference assistance, use of a color digital
scanner for email transmission or transfer to flash drive, wireless,
access to subscription resources and databases, as well as onsite use of
the library’s extensive collections of monographs, exhibition catalogs,
periodicals and auction/sale catalogs.
The library’s electronic workstations are for research purposes only and
not for personal or recreational use.
Watson Library materials do not circulate outside the library (except to
Museum research staff).
Thanks for picking up on our expanded service. Our Saturday hours might be particularly valuable for Sarah Lawrence students (but remember to watch out for those holiday weekends). I hope we see you this semester.