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Visit orientation.library.cornell.edu to learn more about library tours and workshops during orientation.

Download a PDF of our Get Started guide.

Borrowing materials

Find books, DVDs, articles, databases, and more
Borrow laptops and other equipment
Find a list of what you have checked out and renew items
Get Cornell items that are already checked out
Get items delivered from other Cornell libraries
Get items from libraries outside of Cornell:

Borrowing policies for undergraduates, graduates, faculty and staff
Request an item for purchase

Starting research

Get an Introduction to Research:

Watch library tours and Research Minutes videos on YouTube:

Not sure where to start? Try a Library Guide for your subject or course or get help from the subject libraries' Web sites:
(possible opportunity for a drop-down or expandable list under research guides by library)

Finding course materials

Search for course resources (except for those listed on Blackboard) through the Library Web site or through the Course Reserve tab in the Classic Catalog
Browse subject or course-specific research guides created by librarians
Attend a workshop or request a class instruction session
Place items on reserve (for faculty and instructors)

Getting help

Ask a Librarian for research help:

  • Visit
  • Instant Message
  • Text a question (beta)
  • Call
  • Chat 24/7
  • Schedule a Research Consultation
  • E-mail

Learn about starting research at Cornell
Browse our collection of research guides
Get help and tools for citing sources

Read frequently asked questions about using the Library's Web site
Get help connecting from off campus
Find course resources at the Library

Disability Services & Assistive Technology in the Libraries

Finding facilities and equipment

Locate and reserve laptops and other equipment for your own use
Find library spaces with computers, printers and more
Use the Library Copy Center
Find networked printing services

For information about lockers, carrels, group study spaces, and more, check individual library Web sites or ask a librarian.

General policies and information

Finding information from off-campus

Your Cornell NetID and password are all you need to connect to electronic resources from off campus.
Read the Trouble Connecting FAQ
Connect to databases and journals directly with Passkey
Connect more securely with Cornell VPN (Virtual Privacy Network)
Report problems

Navigating the Library’s wealth of resources

Cornell University Library holds a number of collections of rare books and manuscripts, photographs, prints, maps and artifacts at several different libraries. The collections document human experience and the history of communication and cultural transmission, and they range from medieval manuscripts to 1980s hip hop.

The main repository of these special collections is the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, which also houses the Cornell University Archives and other collections on witchcraft, the anti-slavery movement, the history of science, James Joyce, E.B. White and human sexuality (to name only a few).

Other Cornell libraries that hold special collections on specific subjects include: