Manhattan Research Library Initiative (MaRLI)

For more information about the partnership between NYPL, Columbia and NYU, see http://marli.libguides.com.

To apply, please consult with a librarian and submit an application form.

General Information

Effective March 2011, any New York Public Library cardholder in good standing who lives, works or attends school in New York State is eligible to participate in a new library service that offers an unprecedented level of access to our collections. The Manhattan Research Libraries Initiative (MaRLI) offers approved NYPL cardholders the ability to borrow select research library material for at-home use for the first time ever. Additionally, MaRLI participants will be granted access to select materials owned by Columbia University and NYU.

This initiative is currently in a pilot phase and is expected to last through June 2012.

In addition to Library policies outlined here, MaRLI participants remain subject to New York Public Library cardholder Terms and Conditions.

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in this pilot program, interested applicants must first acquire a New York Public Library card, if they do not have one already. After consultation with a staff member at a participating Research Library, applicants should then complete the online application for MaRLI membership as directed. Successful applicants will be contacted by the Library via e-mail, generally within 5 business days. E-mails will be sent from marli@nypl.org.

Upon admission to the program, MaRLI participants will need to visit a participating Research Library location to have their library card authorized and updated. Participants should bring the required identification listed here.

Current NYPL cardholders who apply for MaRLI status will have the expiration date on their record adjusted to coincide with the duration of the pilot. To renew their membership, as either a MaRLI participant or standard cardholder, the forms of identification referenced in the above link will need to be presented in person.

Borrowing Materials

Participation in MaRLI allows for 60 day, non-renewable loans on select library materials available at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Science Industry and Business Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. All requested material will be reviewed by staff for suitability for circulation prior to checkout.

Borrowers are reminded that New York Public Library cards are non-transferable. In order to leave a Research Library location with MaRLI materials, cardholders must present photo identification at the time of checkout.

Non-MaRLI NYPL items will circulate for their standard loan periods; typically one day of in-library use access only for Research Library materials and four to twenty-one days for material in our circulating collection. Additional information on borrowing non-MaRLI items may be found here.

MaRLI cardholders may also borrow eligible materials at the following libraries of Columbia University and NYU. Borrowing privileges at these institutions, as well as the use of their facilities, is limited to the checkout of these materials.

Returning Materials

All MaRLI-loaned items must be returned to the library from which they were borrowed. Late fees will be applied for any items not returned on or before their due date. Cardholders with past-due balances in excess of $50 are subject to contact by a collection agency and the application of an additional $10 mandatory charge to their record.

Recall of Borrowed Materials

The nature of the library materials being lent out as part of this initiative requires that they may be recalled by the Library from time to time. If an item they have borrowed has been recalled, MaRLI participants will have two weeks to return the item to the original lending library before late charges begin to accumulate.