This blog post was written by Kathleen Leary, Dance Education Coordinator and Jennifer Eberhardt, Special Collections Librarian of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division.

As both students and instructors return to school this year, many face a new and unfamiliar landscape of uncertainty.  Remote and hybrid learning environments, redesigned course plans, synchronous and asynchronous technology platforms, unreliable internet service—little seems unaffected or routine.  

The Jerome Robbins Dance Division has gathered together a list of educational resources—from research guides and digital collections to databases and digital delivery services—that are freely accessible to assist higher education students and instructors as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of returning to the classroom. Explore what is available below, and if you need guidance about using our collections or incorporating Dance Division materials into your curriculum or research, reach out to us by emailing dance@nypl.org.  

Library Cards

To access a number of valuable resources, researchers must have a New York Public Library card; New York residents can apply for a library card online via our SimplyE app. If you are a current higher education student but not a New York resident, contact the Dance Division at dance@nypl.org to apply.

Research Guides

The Dance Division’s online guide to Remote Research and Dance offers students, researchers, and instructors a useful overview of the digital resources and tools that are available to patrons conducting their research remotely using Dance Division resources.  For resources specifically focused on antiracism and the dance community, visit our online guide Systematic Racism, Protests, and Dance.  

Articles & Databases

NYPL has significantly expanded remote access to its collection of articles and research databases. Researchers can search hundreds of repositories for journal articles, books, and other publications, including a number of subject-specific collections related to dance. Additional databases that might be of interest to dance researchers include the Naxos Music Library, The New York Times, New York Amsterdam News, and Newspapers.com. To learn about additional expanded resources visit NYPL’s Research page.   

Digital Collections

NYPL’s online Digital Collections include nearly 900,000 digitized items and are available for use without a library card.  The Dance Division’s collections include manuscripts, rare books, photographs, original designs, prints, and more; select audio and moving image collections are also available, including interviews and footage from the Bhutan Dance Project and the Khmer Dance Project and recordings from the Dance Oral History Project. Researchers can download high-resolution images of any Digital Collections materials in the public domain.

Virtual Reference

Though the Library for the Performing Arts is currently closed to the public, librarians and archivists from the Jerome Robbins Dance Division are available to answer any of your research questions, from accessing materials remotely to navigating our digital resources and finding e-books. Email the Division anytime at dance@nypl.org, or schedule a one-on-one virtual consultation with a member of our staff by completing this online request form.  

Grab & Go 

With NYPL’s Grab-and-Go service, library card holders can place requests for circulating materials to be held for them for contactless pickups and returns at 50 (and counting!) NYPL locations throughout New York City. To make a request, log in to NYPL’s online catalog, place an item on hold, and select your nearest delivery location.

Scan and Deliver 

Non-circulating materials, including general research and special collections items, are also available remotely through the Library’s Scan and Deliver service. Researchers can place requests for eligible items by using the Request button in NYPL’s Shared Collections catalog or, for items held by the Dance, Theatre, or Music and Recorded Sound Divisions, by completing this request form.   

COVID-19 Dance Workers Narratives Project

Would you like to contribute your voice to our collections? The Dance Division’s COVID-19 Dance Workers Narratives Project offers an opportunity for you to share your experiences. We encourage interviewer/interviewee teams to record a unique perspective on their dance careers during this time, which will be cataloged and preserved in the Division’s collections.   

Virtual Visits 

The Jerome Robbins Dance Division welcomes requests for virtual class visits. If you would like to plan a virtual visit, complete this form and one of our education specialists will contact you.

Community & Student Resources

The New York Public Library’s website offers a variety of free community resources, including information about financial resources and CARES Act stimulus payments, employment coaching and job search assistance, remote learning support, remote accessibility resources, NYPL en Español and other multilingual resources.  Explore more at nypl.org.  

If you have any questions regarding these or other resources available for higher education through the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, email us at dance@nypl.org. And for event listings, news, and the latest on NYPL’s services and locations, be sure to follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!  We look forward to assisting you with your research needs this year.