If you’re visiting us for the first time, or it’s been a while, registration to our library is required. Our registration form is now online!
Please complete and submit the form below, and a staff member will be in touch with you soon.
Appointments are now required to access the Waterman Research Center – select date(s) and time slot(s) here.
Appointment Info
As part of CHS’s Covid-19 protocols, appointments made at least 7 days in advance are required to access the Waterman Research Center.
- Two time blocks are available:
- 12:00–2:00pm
- 2:30–4:30pm
- The Waterman Research Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday by appointment only. Appointments are confirmed through email by CHS staff.
- Hours of operation are 12:00–2:00pm and 2:30–4:30pm.
- Appointments must be requested at least seven days (7) in advance.
- Registrations (for first-time or “not in a long time” users) are still required – please see fillable form at left.
- Current capacity is four (4) researchers at one time with a maximum of two (2) manuscript users per time block.
- Researchers must exit the Waterman Research Center during cleaning times:
- 2:00–2:30pm
- by 4:30pm
- Researchers must wear a mask and stay 6-ft apart from staff and other researchers, and:
- Wash hands prior to starting research.
- Bring their own pencils, or take home the staff-provided pencil.
- Visitors who do not follow safety and handling protocols including proper mask wearing and failing to maintain social distancing with staff or other patrons in the Edgar F. Waterman Research Center will be asked to leave.
- People traveling from states on the official CT quarantine list, including CT residents who have recently been in those states, are directed to follow the official Connecticut quarantining rules found at: https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/travel.
- Out-of-state visitors: if your state is marked in red on the current travel advisory map, you must quarantine for fourteen (14) days in Connecticut prior to visiting the CHS. This also means you cannot book a research appointment until after the fourteen (14) days.
- We are here to serve – researchers can no longer self-serve and retrieve books and other materials from our open stacks areas or browse through our card catalogs.
- Materials are pulled in advance of researchers’ confirmed appointments and staff need at least two days notice to retrieve items; “on-demand” pulling is not available on the appointment day.
- Staff reserve the right to deny and/or cancel appointments at any time for any reason.
- Staff cannot accept appointment requests after the submission deadline. The deadline allows sufficient time for staff to retrieve materials and prepare our facility for the appointment.
Appointment Cancellation and Delay Policies
- CHS reserves the right to cancel research appointments at any time. We will make every effort to let you know as soon as possible.
- Researchers who arrive for their appointment more than 30 minutes late may have their appointment canceled. Researchers may be allowed into the next available appointment slot at the discretion of CHS staff.
- In the event that we cannot properly staff the Waterman Research Center, please expect the possibility that your research appointment(s) will be cancelled.
