FIT Library Department Special Collections

LIBRARY HOME STYLECAT
LIBRARY CATALOG DIGITAL LIBRARY:
ONLINE DATABASES GRAPHICS LAB PRINTFX SERVICES & DEPARTMENTS RESEARCH GUIDES ASK A LIBRARIAN LIBRARY HOURS NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS SITE INDEX SUGGESTION / COMMENT BOX

Gladys Marcus Library

Special Collections Revised 8/18/08

E-Building

Room E435A/E-409A

Phone

212.217.4400

Librarian

Karen Cannell, Assistant Professor
Head of Special Collections

Staff

Lubna Contractor

Lisa Ryan

Please Note: All Special Collections access is by appointment. FIT graduate students should e-mail your request for appointment to gml_spcollections@yahoo.com as far in advance as possible.

Click for Graduate Students Guidelines

Click to Request an Appointment

Click for Permission to Reproduce Materials Form

Located in Room E435A/ E-409A, the Library's Special Collections contains a wealth of information. Materials have been chosen for their rarity, fragility, age, unusual format, or monetary value, and are placed in a secure, monitored, closed-stack environment.

You can use StyleCat [Online Catalog] to search for some Special Collections materials. Not all items in Special Collections, however, are included in online catalog. Consult the Special Collections staff for assistance.

This non-circulating collection includes the following subjects:
	Fashion	Art and architecture
	Regional costume	Decoration and ornament
	Textile design	Interior design
	Dressmaking and tailoring	Historical works on the textile industry
	Fashion illustration

Highlights of the collection

	European and American fashion magazines from 1806 to 1940.
	Fashion sketch collection: original sketches by European and American designers and firms from 1888 to the present.
	Scrapbooks of clippings and personal memorabilia documenting firms and designers.
	Original fashion illustrations, established in memory of Professor Frances Neady, donated by prominent contemporary illustrators and collectors.
	Oral histories of major 20th century fashion world personalities, including designers, manufacturers, retailers, writers, editors and educators. Consists of unpublished interviews with notable fashion designers and industry leaders, who talk about their lives, business and creative work.

ACCESS

	Special Collections use is by advance appointment only for all users, including FIT students, faculty and staff.
	Open to qualified visiting researchers by advance appointment only.
	Patrons must request specific titles and call numbers for the materials they wish to see one day prior to the day of their appointment
	Failure to submit specific titles and call number one day before the day of the appointment will result in the cancellation of the appointment.
	Hours are more limited than regular library hours. Hours are posted on the door and on the Library web page (under Library Departments & Services, Special Collections).
	Appointment times cannot be extended to accommodate lateness or delays in arrival. Please alert us to any anticipated delay by calling 212.217.4400.
	Informational handouts are available, such as the Special Collections Periodicals List.
	There is no open stack access. Materials must be paged.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS HOURS

Please Note: Special Collections will be closed until further notice. The only exception is for FIT graduate students, who should send an email to gml_spcollections@yahoo.com for an appointment as far in advance as possible.

Tuesdays 7:00-9:00pm
Wednesdays 5:00-9:30pm
Saturdays 1:00pm-6:00pm
Click for Graduate Students Guidelines
Click to Request an Appointment
Click for Permission to Reproduce Materials Form

POLICIES

Due to the special nature of the collection, the following policies are enforced:

	Leave briefcases, cases, books, coats, etc. in lockers provided.
	Identification will be held by the Special Collections staff until all items are returned.
	Registration forms must be competed and processed prior to obtaining service or access to materials.
	USE PENCIL ONLY. Ink in any form may not be used.
	No photocopying.
	Acid free bookmarks are available. Please ask for them.
	Use the white cotton gloves, which are provided, when handling materials.

MISSION STATEMENT

Special Collections acquires, preserves, and provides access to a wide range of primary research materials in their original formats, including archives, scrapbooks, oral histories, fashion sketches, illustrations, books, journals and other items. Subjects include the apparel industry, fashion and regional costume, textile design and the textile industry, the FIT archives, and, to a lesser extent, art, architecture and interior design. We are committed to supporting research by FIT students and faculty, as well as designers and researchers from the apparel and textile field, other industry professionals, and scholars.