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 > Unsubmitted Requests
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. The calendar of availability is based on which room you select.
To bring up the Woods Reading Room calendar, you will need to select that from the dropdown menu.
Step 6: Next, click the "Schedule a New Appointment" button to bring up the Appointment Calendar.
Select a date from the calendar to populate the appointment date field. If a date is available, it will appear white and clickable.
If there are no available appointments, the date will be grayed out. Currently, we are only taking appointments up to 90 days in advance.
Complete the rest of the booking information on the right once the date has been selected.
Length of Appointment
The minimum appointment length is one hour
The maximum appointment length is three hours
For six hour/full day bookings, please book two three hour appointments
Appointment Time
This will autopopulate what's possible based on the length of the appointment
Hit "Create Appointment" 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. You'll get an automated appointment confirmation email at this point.
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 repeat 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. You will get an automated confirmation for your appointment.
I still need help!
If you still need assistance, the best thing to do is contact us via email: rbml@columbia.edu