Access to Libraries and Collections
Make an appointment to get in a library to examine materials shelved in reading rooms and in library stacks. You can check out items from circulating collections at the Circulation Desk.
Collections and appointments available
- Appointments are available for Art Library, Business Finance and Analytics Lab, Memorial Library, Mills Music Library, Steenbock Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society Library.
- Access to all but WHS Library is limited to UW-Madison faculty, staff, and graduate students.
- Appointments are available on limited days and times. See links on the right for more information about specific location schedules and arrival procedures.
Services available
The libraries will have limited staff available onsite, so not all building services are supported. Ask a Librarian services are available to assist in planning your visit in advance. Please visit our COVID-19 page for the most up-to-date information.
How to schedule an appointment for visiting the library
To learn about making an appointment for the Wisconsin Historical Society Library, go here.
Appointments for Art, Business, Memorial, Music, and Steenbock Libraries are available to all faculty, staff, and graduate students, using the appointment request application below.
Faculty and principal investigators whose research falls under the Research Reboot guidelines must also complete the Phase 2 Research Reboot request form.
Before scheduling an appointment, faculty and PIs must request return to on-campus research by completing the Phase 2 Research Reboot request form. Faculty and PIs must also complete the request form on behalf of their graduate student advisees who need access to library spaces for research, as noted in the Phase 2 Research Reboot request form FAQs. Once an appointment has been scheduled, return to the request form and change the status of the Research Reboot Proposal (question 6) to “approved”.
Go here to start an appointment request.
- Select the library.
- Note any specific information about services that are relevant to your visit.
- Note any specific instructions for arriving for your appointment and entering the library.
- Select a date and time to enter the library.
- Answer all questions on the form, including the estimated length of your visit.
- Submit your appointment.
You will receive an email message confirming your appointment that includes library specific information and instructions.
Please don’t come to the library without an appointment. We must ensure we are meeting physical distancing guidelines, and are working carefully to ensure scheduled times allow for minimal contact for all involved.
If you have questions during this process, you can contact the Circulation Office or Ask a Librarian.
Frequently asked questions
Although arrival times are staggered, you can stay until the end of the appointment time (noon) at which time the library will close to the public and you will have to leave.
Yes. This helps us ensure that we are appropriately controlling the number of people in the building. Accurate information about length-of-stay may allow us to adjust future appointments such that more people can take advantage of this service.
Over the next few weeks, we hope to expand this service to allow for other locations to participate. Check back on this page to get updates.