Frederick Lewis Allen Room

The Frederick Lewis Allen Memorial Room, established by the Ford Foundation in 1958 as a tribute to this author, critic, editor and man of letters who had served as a member of its Board of Trustees, is to assist those authors under book contract needing intensive use of the general research collections of The New York Public Library for a prescribed period of time.

Admission and Application

Admission is limited to writers currently under book contract to a publishing company. A photocopy of this signed contract must accompany each application for admission.

Admission to the Room is for a period not to exceed one year. Because of frequent requests upon the Room, it is not possible to extend cards of admission after their expiration. The physical limitations of the room preclude admission to as many applicants as qualify. Such names will be kept on a waiting list and notified as admission becomes feasible.

A signed application for admission must be completed, signed and returned, in person, e-mail, or by postal mail, to Jay Barksdale, Study Rooms Liaison, The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10018. The applicant will be notified approximately two weeks before the assigned term begins.

Access and Use

Cubicles are not assigned, and use is strictly based on a first-come first-use basis. Writers are free to use any cubicle that is available, but must remove books, papers, and equipment from that cubicle at the end of each day.

Each writer will be issued an electronic keycard, to be returned when the term of assignment ends. A $15 charge will be issued for lost or unreturned cards. The Room must remain locked at all times.

A collection of encyclopedias, English and foreign language dictionaries, gazetteers, quotation books, biographical reference books, and general information sources is shelved permanently in the Room for convenience, and should not be removed. A computer and printer for the Library's catalog and databases are also available.

Writers may bring laptops, but they should not be left in the Room. At the end of the assignment, all personal property must be removed. The Library cannot be responsible at any time for personal property left in the Room.

No food or drink in any form may be brought into the Room. Violation of these rules will result in immediate termination from the Room.

The Room will be available whenever the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is open to the public.

Requesting and Holding Material in the Room

Requests for delivery of general research material should be made using Allen Room call slips, a supply of which is kept in the Room. They should be taken to the Delivery Desk in the Rose Main Reading Room. Deliveries are made several times each day and placed on the "Incoming Books" cart. Each incoming book will include the copy of the original call slip, which must be exposed. Books will be checked out on the writer's library card, and may be kept for the length of the assigned term. When a writer finishes with a book, it should be placed on the "Outgoing Books" cart. If a book held in the Room is requested by another Library user, the book will be taken, and the duplicate call slip left on the shelf. These books are not automatically returned to the Room; if the writer wishes to continue using the book, a new request should be submitted.

Certain items may not be available because of value, rarity, fragility, current demand, or other considerations. Materials from special collections, i.e. Manuscripts, Rare Books etc., must be used in those divisions.

For more information and an application, contact researchstudyrooms@nypl.org