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Request Access

Special access is required to use materials in the Research Library, Rare Book Collection, and Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives.

Access is available for individuals who meet one of the following criteria:

  • Former Dumbarton Oaks Fellow
  • Scholar holding a doctorate in those subjects collected at Dumbarton Oaks (or an MLA in Landscape Architecture)
  • Currently enrolled doctoral student who has satisfied all course requirements and is working on his or her dissertation
  • Spouse or partner of a current fellow who possesses appropriate academic qualifications in his or her own right
  • Other applicants, at the librarians’ discretion. Applicants should demonstrate a strong need for access by providing titles and call numbers of those books at Dumbarton Oaks that cannot be found in other D.C.-area libraries, such as the Library of Congress.

Submit the online form at least three business days before your visit. For first-time access requests, a letter of reference from an expert in your field may be requested prior to confirming your appointment.

First-time library users are required to have an appointment with security and an orientation with the reader services librarian. Appointments are scheduled for 9:30 AM and 2 PM on Mondays and Thursdays (except federal holidays and during Holiday Closures).

Request Type  Indicate whether you are requesting first-time access or badge renewal.
Reserve Shelf  Would you like a reserve shelf for your visit?