Our Teaching Philosophy

We believe that learners of all levels of experience benefit from discovering, accessing, and connecting with the New York Public Library’s research collections.

Historic map of Manhattan from 1865.

We work with educators to design class visits that use the Library's remarkable collections to foster creative inquiry, build critical thinking and information literacy skills, and inspire wonder and excitement around the process of research. 

To create positive and meaningful learning experiences, we:

  • Create thoughtful, objective-driven learning experiences with the Library’s collections
     
  • Design class visits that provide students with ample time and tools to find and  evaluate sources
     
  • Approach collaboration with external educators as partnerships in which all parties contribute knowledge and preparatory work toward a positive student experience
     
  • Instill in students and educators that they are collective stewards of the Library’s collections, and are welcome to return to continue their research

Planning Your Class Visit

Our team works closely with educators to design and facilitate thoughtful class visits using the Library’s collections.

A man with glasses and a blue shirt looks at a book near a shelf in the Rose Main Reading Room.

1. Request 

Instructors should fill out and submit our department’s visit request form. Within 7 to 10 days, a librarian will reach out to set up a planning meeting.

Plan to submit the form at least six weeks before your preferred visit. We encourage you to plan your visit before the start of the semester. 

 

2. Connect with Staff

Meet with your NYPL liaison in-person or virtually. At the meeting, you will:

  • Review your learning objectives and expectations
  • Discuss the resources or collections item you may want to use
  • Establish date and time of visit
  • Lay out a preliminary agenda and plan for the visit
  • Determine roles and responsibilities

 

3. Visit

Please arrive promptly. Your NYPL liaison  will meet you and your students and escort you to the meeting room. 

 

4. Reflect

We would love to hear about your experience, and work with you again! Shortly after your visit, your NYPL liaison will ask you to share brief feedback on your class visit.

Request a Class Visit

Instructors interested in planning a class visit should start by filling out this form at least six weeks before your desired visit. A librarian will follow up with you shortly.

Request

  • General Research Division

    The General Research Division serves as the central research hub in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The collections are primarily focused in the humanities and social sciences and include literary and scholarly works in over 380 languages with a global reach, from the United States to Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Along with authoritative and scholarly holdings, the library collects many popular, idiosyncratic, and ephemeral materials such as genre fiction, comic books, and pamphlets.

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  • Dorot Jewish Division

    The Dorot Jewish Division was established as a distinct collection in 1897, just two years after the formation of The New York Public Library. It is the oldest public collection of Jewish research materials in the United States and currently amounts to over 250,000 titles of books and periodicals, incunabula, unique archival materials, theater and music scores, as well as oral histories.

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  • Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy

    The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy collects publications documenting American history on the national, state, and local levels, including extensive holdings on New York City history. The Division has a renowned collection of family histories and other genealogical collections, with a particular focus on the New York region. Included in the collections are published works from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society library, photographs, vertical files, postcards, and other visual ephemera.

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  • Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division

    The Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division is one of the world’s premier map collections in terms of size, scope, unique holdings, diversity and intensity of use. Established in 1898, our holdings include more than 433,000 sheet maps and 20,000 books and atlases published between the 16th and 21st centuries. The collections range from the global to the local scale and support the learning and research needs of a wide variety of users.

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