How to Find Periodicals

Locating Your Periodical in the Library

Periodicals are found throughout the Library, in almost every Division.  CATNYP will tell you in which location you can find the title you are seeking, so be certain to take note of the Location Field when searching.  Please note that a single periodical title might be housed in multiple locations, depending on the format.  For instance, a single title may have current paper issues in Room 108, back issues on microfilm in Room 100, and bound volumes in Room 315!

DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room (Room 108)

Current issues of approximately 11,000 periodicals in the humanities, social science, and general interest subject areas are found here.  Materials here are primarily in the Roman alphabet, and include publications from the United States, the United Kingdom, Latin America, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.

You will generally find the last 2-3 years of a title here in Room 108.  Older titles will be available either on microfilm (Room 100) or as bound volumes (Room 315).  A variety of popular titles, including 3 daily newspapers, The New York Times (for 6 weeks), Washington Post (3 months), and Wall Street Journal (3 months) are also available in Room 108.

To use materials in the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room, simply fill out a call slip with the title and issue that you need to use.  You may submit the call slip at the front reference desk.

Microforms (Room 100)

Many older issues of newspapers and journals can be found on microfilm or microfiche.  It can usually be found in the Microforms Division, Room 100, located on the first floor.

CATNYP will indicate if the title is on microform, and which dates are available in this format.  You can also tell that a title is in microform by looking at the call number.  It will always begin with a *Z or a *R-*Z.

Frequently used microfilm titles are available in a self-service area, stored in drawers on the left, as you enter Room 100.  These titles are indicated in CATNYP with the call number *R-*Z.  You may retrieve these items yourself, although we ask that you do not return them to the drawers.  We will put them away for you when you are finished with your work.

All other microforms must be requested at the desk, by completing a call slip.  You will need the Call Number, and the title and date or volume of the journal you wish to use.

General Research Division (Room 315)

When the older issues of a periodical held in the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room have been bound, they are shelved in the general stacks and must be requested through the General Research Division, Room 315.  Submit a call slip for each title that you wish to have retrieved.

Milstein Division of US History, Local History and Genealogy (Room 121)

Periodicals relating to local histories, and genealogy are generally found in the Milstein Division, Room 121.  Current and bound issues may be requested here at the reference desk by completing a call slip for each title needed.

Please note that current periodicals (the last 2-3 years) for US History will be found in Room 108.  Older bound issues are in Room 121, and may be requested at the reference desk.  Refer to the CATNYP record for more specific information.

Asian and Middle Eastern Division (Room 219)

The Asian and Middle Eastern Division houses over 1450 periodicals and newspapers from around the world, in a range of languages that includes Chinese, Japanese, Korean, eleven Indian languages, Arabic, Persian, Armenian, Georgian, Tibetan, several languages of Central Asia, and the major languages of the ancient Near East.  The Division's subject areas include linguistics, literature, religion, archaeology, and history.

Dorot Jewish Division (Room 84)

The Dorot Jewish Division holds over 1200 periodical and newspaper titles of Jewish interest.  The titles held go back as far as the 17th century, although the strength of the collection is in its late 19th and 20th century holdings.

Current issues, bound issues, and microfilm of these titles can be retrieved from the reference desk in Room 84.  For more information, or to browse a list of titles found in the Jewish Division, visit their web site at http://www.nypl.org/humanities/jewish

Slavic and Baltic Division (Room 216-217)

The Slavic and Baltic Division is the locus for the Library's largest concentration of Slavic and Baltic vernacular language collections, with more than 1200 current serials, and 21,800 microform titles.  Here, you will find titles published in Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Latvian, and many other languages.  Note that western-language newspapers and periodicals relating to Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union will be found in either the DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room (Room 108) or the General Research Division (Room 315).

All materials housed in the Slavic and Baltic Division may be requested at the reference desk in Rooms 216-217.

Special Collections

There are many periodical titles held in our Special Collections.  Items held in these divisions can be identified by checking the location field in CATNYP.

Items in Special Collections require a special card of admission.  For more information on gaining access to these titles, please visit the Special Collections Access web site at http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/admin/admission.html

One such collection of periodicals is the International Gay Information Center Archives, held in the Manuscripts and Archives Division.  In this collection are approximately 2000 separate periodical titles (tens of thousands of pieces), comprising over 150 linear feet of holdings, 1953-1989. Includes publications from forty-seven states (all except Idaho, South Carolina and West Virginia) and twenty-seven countries (including Argentina, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, and South Africa).  Most of these titles are not yet in CATNYP.  To learn more about this collection, or to browse a list of periodical titles, visit their web site at http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/rbk/igic.html

Offsite

The location field in CATNYP may list “Offsite” as a location on some periodicals.  These are items that have been moved to our remote storage facility, and are thus not in the building.  You may request these materials in one of two ways:

  • If you need a specific article from a journal (up to 50 pages), and if you have an e-mail address, you may provide us with the citation of the article.  Our staff at the remote storage facility will retrieve the journal, scan your article, and e-mail you a link to connect to that item online.  You may then read the article online, print it out, or save it to your computer at home. 
  • If you are not certain of the citation for the article, or if you need to see an entire journal issue, you may request that the journal be delivered to the Library. An item will be delivered the next day (Tuesday - Friday) if the request is placed before 1:30 p.m.  Items requested after 1:30 p.m. will arrive two days later. Items requested after 1:30 p.m. on Thursday will be available the following Tuesday.

Requests for periodicals located offsite may be made in person using our regular call slip, if you are in the Library, or may be made via e-mail or phone from home.  Please make certain you have the complete citation, including the call number, and contact us at (212)930-0830, or callaheadhssl@nypl.org.  Please call before coming in to make certain your material has arrived, (212)930-0813.

Other Research Libraries

In addition to the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, periodicals may be found at the three other Research Libraries of the New York Public Library.  Be sure to check CATNYP for the appropriate location.