Collections / Research Access
Research access to Anthology’s archives and library is available to students and established scholars by advance appointment only. A catalog of holdings is not currently available online. Please provide the exact name of the films, filmmakers, individuals, or institutions that you are interested in researching in your initial request. Both the library stacks and the collection vaults are closed and cannot be visited.
All research requests must be received at least fourteen (14) days in advance of your desired appointment date. No late requests can be considered. Please understand that submitting a request for an appointment is not a confirmation of your reservation. Anthology will process each request in the order received and will contact you to confirm a scheduled date and time. Please allow up to 4 business days for a response. Appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and are held during normal administrative office hours (10:30am - 6:30pm) on weekdays (Monday - Friday) only. Appointments are for indivdual researchers only. Anthology can not accomdate additional researchers within a single appointment without prior approval.
A base fee of $20 per day is payable at the beginning of each research appointment. An additional $10 per hour fee may be applicable for film requests that require the use of a flatbed (Steenbeck) viewer or other special access requests.
A researcher registration form outlining our access policies must be completed on the day of the appointment prior to examining or viewing any materials. AFA Researcher Registration form (PDF)
Please note that while Anthology has materials on all eras of film history and on thousands of individuals, our primary focus is on personal, avant-garde, and experimental cinema. If your interest is Hollywood or commercial filmmaking our collections will likely disappoint you. For this type of research please try the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center; New York University; Columbia University; the Museum of Modern Art; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.
Film, Video, and Audio collections:
To make an inquiry, contact John Klacsmann, Archivist.
Paper Materials and Books:
Please Note: Anthology's library is currently closed because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staffing limitations, and preparation for AFA's Completion Project. At present, we cannot accommodate research requests or provide access to our paper and book collections, exceptions cannot be considered. Appointment access to these materials will be reinstated upon reopening AFA's new and renovated facilities.
Please note that this closure also affects research access to our film, video, and audio collections.
