Use of the Research Library is by appointment Monday through Friday during our regular business hours, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM. To inquire or set up an appointment, fill out the form above. Research materials cannot leave the Research Library, nor is open browsing allowed. Further information about the policies and procedures of use of the Research Library is provided below.

Accessibility

This main reading room of the Research Library is currently not accessible by wheelchair. Upon request, however, research materials from the library can be consulted at the nearby Bronx County Archives, which is accessible. Please contact the Research Library's staff at the email or phone number listed above for more information.

Appointment Time

Patrons are asked to show up no more than 5 minutes before their appointment time. If patrons anticipate that they may be late to their appointment, they are asked to let the research library staff know at librarian@bronxhistoricalsociety.org or 718-881-8900 x105. The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library opens at 9am and closes promptly at 5pm, Monday–Friday.

COVID-19 Procedures

Patrons who have contracted covid-19 or have been in contact with others who have contracted the virus within the past month will be asked to delay their visit until they can provide negative covid-19 test results or proof of full vaccination. For those who have not yet been vaccinated, masks are required at all times when inside any buildings of The Bronx County Historical Society. No restrictions apply to those who have been fully vaccinated.

Fees

The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library charges a usage fee of $10 per day per patron. The fee is waived for students, educators, members of the Society, and those with financial hardship.

Food and Drink

No food and drink is permitted in the library's reading, vertical files, or media rooms, though the Society permits patrons to use its kitchen area for cold storage, eating, and drinking purposes.

Location

The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library is located at 3309 Bainbridge Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10467. Street parking is limited, though we do have one reserved parking spot for researchers at our address that is available first come, first served. There are parking garages located nearby at Montefiore Medical Center. We are also accessible by bus or subway.

Photography, Duplication, and Usage Rights

Patron photography of documents and books with phones or other handheld devices is permitted. Patron photography of photographs with phones or other handheld devices is permitted provided that flash is turned off. Photocopying or digitization services for books, documents, or other print material can be provided by the Society at a rate of $0.10 per page. High-resolution digital copies of images for personal use and research can be provided at a rate of $10 per image. Digital copies of audio-visual material can be provided at a rate of $30/item, provided the Society has the needed equipment. Consult the librarian for a list of fees for using the Society's material in publications and other media.

Procedures for Material

Upon arrival, in consultation with the patron, the librarian will pull relevant material from the Society's collections. If you believe that you will also need access to archival collections stored in The Bronx County Archives, kindly let the librarian know as soon as possible. Patrons may use their own laptops while in the reading room, and WiFi information will be provided upon request. Patrons may also use a notebook or other paper for taking notes, provided only pencil is used. Patrons are asked to exercise the utmost care while handling the Society's material, as most of it is now irreplaceable. For patrons consulting the Vertical Files collection, the Society kindly asks that documents within folders are kept in the order in which they are received. Gloves will be provided to patrons consulting the Photograph collection. Patrons who anticipate that they will need access to the Media collection are asked to bring their own headphones.

Patrons can search a portion of our Research Library holdings here. This currently represents only a portion of our holdings, as recataloging is underway.

Books and Printed Material Collection

The Books and Printed Material collection consists of over 7,000 bound volumes and recent periodicals documenting Bronx, New York City, and New York State history. An additional special focus of the collection is the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, who spent a majority of his final three years in The Bronx.

Map and Atlas Collection

The Map and Atlas collection consists of 450 loose sheet maps and 145 atlases. These materials date from the 1860s to the present and focus on The Bronx and New York City.

Microfilm and Microfiche Collection

On-site researchers heavily utilize the Microfilm and Microfiche collection of almost 400 items. The collection contains New York City Directories from the nineteenth century, the political scrapbooks of former Bronx Borough President James J. Lyons, the full run of the Bronx Home News (1908–1948), and the map and atlas collection, stored also in microfilm format for preservation and accessibility.

Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection

The Rare Books and Manuscripts collection contains manuscripts, pamphlets, and rare and fragile books, documenting Bronx, New York City, and New York State history.

Recorded Sound and Moving Image Collection

The Research Library is the repository for over 1,000 recorded sounds and moving images that document Bronx life since the 1930s. The Media collection is available for both on-site viewing and duplication for private, non-profit, and commercial programming.

Still Image Collection

The Research Library boasts a large collection (75,000+ items) of nineteenth- and twentieth-century still images of The Bronx across a variety of photographic media, including photographic prints, slides, glass negatives, postcards, and stereoviews.

Vertical Files Collection

The Vertical Files collection contains over 275,000 paper ephemera, arranged by subject, documenting Bronx communities, demographics, history, architecture, business and industry, individuals, and more, both past and present.

The Bronx County Historical Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The fair market value of your donated materials is generally tax deductible. It is the responsibility of the donor to establish a value of their donation for tax purposes. To ensure that you receive the maximum tax benefit, it is recommended that you consult with your own accountant, attorney, and/or the Internal Revenue Service. The Bronx County Historical Society does not appraise the value of any item or recommend specific appraisers. You may find a qualified appraiser by contacting the American Society of Appraisers. For more information bout donating items to the Research Library collections, write to librarian(at)bronxhistoricalsociety.org.

Patrons who wish to use items from the collections of The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library in print or other media publications must obtain explicit permission and, when relevant, pay usage rights to do so. Please contact the research library staff at librarian(at)bronxhistoricalsociety.org to inquire.