New York Public Library

The New York Public Library (NYPL) will support the development of a Virtual Reading Room—a controlled online research environment which will provide library patrons with mediated, secure remote access to otherwise restricted material collections. The Virtual Reading Room will advance the progress of knowledge by filling a critical gap in access to research collections not well-suited for open access models. Project activities will include defining the legal policies and framework supporting the Virtual Reading Room and designing and implement a key Virtual Reading Room technical component: the user authorization layer. As the need for equitable remote accessibility intensifies due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors worldwide, the Virtual Reading Room will serve as an adaptable model for responsible mediated access to library collections on a broad scale.