Making an Appointment: FAQ
I want to make an appointment. What should I do first?
Step 1: Log into your Special Collections Research Account or create a new account if you are a first-time user.
Step 2: We ask that all users make requests first before booking an appointment. Please follow the instructions on the "New Request" page to request materials.
PLEASE NOTE: Users may only request up to five collection items per day.
Video: Request from archival collections
Video: Request from CLIO
Okay, I have five requests. How do I book an appointment?
Step 3: Go to Request > Requests Needs Appointment
Step 4: Click on the "Edit" button for the first request
Step 5: Scroll to the bottm of the page. First, you will need to select which reading room you want to make an appointment in. The default is UArchives.
To bring up the Woods Reading Room calendar, you will need to select that from the dropdown menu.
Step 6: Next, click the "New Appointment" button. Click on that to bring up the Appointment Calendar.
If there are no available appointments, the calendar will be blocked out in red. Currently, we are only taking appointments up to 90 days in advance.
If there is an available appointment, it'll appear in white. Double click the white area to bring up the scheduling window.
From here, you can select your start time and end time, based on availability.
- The minimum appointment length is one hour
- The maximum appointment length is three hours
- If you need a full day appointment, you can either:
- Book two three hours appointments
(if available) - Contact us via email
Hit "Schedule" to book your appointment.
Step 7: Hit "Submit Request" to save the changes. This will bring you back to the main account page.
Step 8: You will now have to edit the other four requests to add them to your appointment. To do this from the main account page, click Actions > Edit
Scroll to the bottom. You can now select your existing appointment from the drop down menu (or book a separate one). Hit submit.
Huzzah, you made it.
Video: Book an appointment
How do I change / cancel my appointment?
If it's five business days before your appointment, you can change or cancel yourself. To do so, click on "Appointments" in the navy blue navigation bar.
Then click on Actions. Cancelling will cancel your appointment and all the requests associated with that appointment.
Clicking Edit Appointment will bring up the "Edit Appointment" window. From here, you can schedule a new appointment or select an existing appointment.
Please note: the system will not allow you to book a new appointment outside of the five day minimum lead time, even if there is an opening available. Please contact us directly for assistance if your appointment is less than five days away.
Video: Reschedule or cancel an appointment
What if I need to make a return appointment?
You'll have to go through this process, but since you can copy previous requests, it's a little easier.
Step 1: Select an request in your Outstanding Requests list.
Step 2: Choose Clone Request from the Actions drop-down menu.
Step 3: Make a New Appointment by clicking the "New Appointment" button or select an existing Appointment from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Press Submit Request when you are done. Library staff will contact you to confirm your appointment and requests.
I still need help!
If you still need assistance, the best thing to do is contact us via email: rbml@columbia.edu