Entrance Policies

During the 2020-21 academic year, entrance to Gelman library is only available to residential students and to GW students, faculty, and staff who have special permission to be on campus (the on-campus cohort). Those who are not part of the on-campus cohort will not have physical access to campus buildings. Anyone not in compliance with the testing, symptom monitoring, and tracing protocol (anyone with a Quarantine Status other than "cleared") will not be allowed in the building, even with a valid seat reservation.

All students, faculty, staff, alumni with borrowing privileges, and visiting scholars with borrowing privileges can request materials to pick up in the entrance lobby. 

Gelman Library's building and general collections are closed to the public. As the library at a private institution, we are obligated to focus our limited resources on our primary users, the students, faculty and staff of George Washington University.

GW Affiliates

• GW Students, Faculty, and Staff--Including Foggy Bottom, Mt. Vernon, and Virginia Campuses, Medical and Law Schools.
• GW Alumni
• Immediate Family Members of GW students, faculty, and staff

University and Library Consortia

• ARL Student, Faculty, and Staff
• CIRLA Students, Faculty, and Staff
• OCLC Reciprocal Borrowing Program
• WRLC Faculty, Students, and Staff (Includes Trinity College)
• WRLC Employees

Local Users

• BARBRI (Bar Exam Review Program)
• Foggy Bottom Association Member
• IMF/World Bank Employees
• School Without Walls Staff and Students
• Summer Housing Residents
• West End Association Members

Other Visitors

• Specialized Research Collection Users
• U.S. Government Documents Users
• Woodrow Wilson Scholars
• Registered Visitors and Borrowers