Last Updated: 09/23/2022
Last Updated: 09/15/2023
If you have any questions please send them to library@philamuseum.org
Last Updated: 09/15/2023
Our new take-home circulation policies do not apply to our non-circulating collections. These include but are not limited to items from our Rare stacks, damaged or fragile books, kits and portfolios, or mixed media materials.
With our Reading Room open by appointment, you may review most non-circulating materials in your personal workspace in Perelman or Main. Some items may be restricted to supervised use. Request what you need online, and we’ll contact you to schedule a socially-distanced hand-off. Returns must be made the same day, while the Library is still staffed. Just let us know when you’re dropping off your book. If you need more time, we’ll make arrangements with you for a future date.
Questions? Contact alexa.vallejo@philamuseum.org.
Last Updated: 09/15/2023
1. Where do I pick up and return my library books?
You can pick up materials on the carts near the Media Room in the Lower Level of the Perelman building for pickups and returns. You may also request that materials be sent to you via interoffice mail; please note where we should send the materials when you make your request in the online catalog. Books may also be returned via interoffice mail in a sealed, clearly marked box, mailer, or envelope.
2. What will be the average wait times between requesting a book and receiving it?
Paging for library materials is completed twice per day. Most materials will be ready by 10 AM, and again by 3 PM. Books will be available on pickup carts near the Media Room on the Lower Level of the Perelman Building.
Books requested from departmental libraries (e.g. European Decorative Arts; East Asian Art, Prints, Drawings & Photographs; et al.) may take several days to be made available, as they must be delivered to the Library and Archives through interoffice mail.
Interlibrary loan fulfillment times vary depending on the lending library. Typically, books arrive between 2 and 10 days. Article and chapter scans might be completed within a few hours or in up to five days.
Please note that the museum is only providing mail service to the Perelman Building on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, which may add to the wait time for print materials.
3. Can you buy a book at my request?
Please send any purchase requests to library@philamuseum.org. However, due to budgetary constraints we have temporarily stopped new acquisitions of most materials, including print books.
4. I work in the Main Building. Do I need to go into Perelman to retrieve books?
When you request a book in the online catalog, please also note in any blank field “interoffice mail” and the department where we should send the book(s). If there is any issue with this, we will make alternative arrangements with you.