The Graduate Seminar is the Society's most important educational function. You should not hesitate to take full advantage of its resources and, particularly, its staff. During the Seminar it is the responsibility of the curators and the Visiting Scholar to assist you in exploring your field of interest, and apprising the Librarian of your topic will enable him to help you locate pertinent materials as well as newly-acquired items of interest to you. All the members of the Society's staff hope to make your stay in New York both pleasant and rewarding.

An intensive program of formal lectures is scheduled for the first two weeks of the Seminar. Thereafter, formal lectures and seminar discussions will be interspersed with field trips and work on individual projects. All students are expected to attend all of the formal lectures and discussions.

For some of the sessions there will be required reading; students will also be asked to give brief presentations on selected topics. While the sessions are structured in a way to formally introduce students to important issues, methods, and coinages, they are also meant to serve as a creative forum for (lively) debate and participation.

Early in the Seminar there will be individual meetings with the curators and the Visiting Scholar concerning a research topic. The aim of these conferences is not to dictate a topic, but to settle upon one that is likely to be fruitful and to take advantage of the resources of the Society. Students are expected to present the results of their work, both orally and in writing, at the end of the Seminar. Additionally, students will deliver an interim progress report in the fifth week.

The oral presentation should not take more than forty-five minutes. We are happy to extend invitations to teachers, students or friends to hear these oral presentations. Their names and addresses should be given to the appropriate curator by the end of the fifth week, earlier if possible.

The written paper may, and usually should, be longer than the oral presentation. It should be submitted in final form with appropriate illustrations before the new academic year begins. Experience shows that papers which are not received by the end of the Seminar, or soon after, are not received at all.

A certificate of completion of the Seminar is issued after the written paper has been received. A copy of this certificate is forwarded to the student's department chairman.

Students' identities, affiliations, and research topics are noted in various ANS publications, and this often generates inquiries which are referred directly to the student. Student papers are made available for examination, in the building only, upon request, and a record is kept of those who have examined them. If you wish to restrict access to your paper for a period of five years, you are entitled to do so; after that time it will be available to the public.

To help avoid duplication of effort and insure proper recognition, students are encouraged not to restrict access to their work.

In the past students have failed to complete the Seminar, usually by failing to submit written papers describing the results of their research. Except under extenuating circumstances, department chairmen and referees will be notified of a student's failure to complete the Seminar program after December 31 of the year of the student's participation.

The museum, including the library and the coin cabinets, is open to students from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. The Library may be closed for lunch from noon to 1:00pm. Check with the Librarian if in doubt.  All facilities are closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. There are no individual offices for students but there are many pleasant work spaces throughout the building.

One of the great strengths of the Seminar is the opportunity to work directly with the Society's superb numismatic collection. Protection of the collection is, however, the primary duty of the Curatorial staff and all seminar students must follow the procedures as described in the orientation. Failure to do so can result in dismissal from the Seminar.

Books and articles in the various reading lists may be found in the Library. Reserve and certain other books may be borrowed overnight only after consultation with a librarian. Periodicals do not circulate. Please bear in mind that many of the articles you will have to consult are available in the library's pamphlet file.

Any book shelved in the "Rare book" room must be obtained from the Librarian and returned to him at the end of each day.

Books taken from the library for use within the building should be charged out at the reference desk. Books returned should not be reshelved but should be brought to the attention of a member of the Librarian who can destroy the slip. Normally books should not be removed from the coin room. Virtually all the books which are in the coin room are also to be found in the Library.

Consistent with our public policy, students should not bring bookbags, briefcases, or backpacks into the Library.  They should be left in the lockers provided for this purpose on the right as you enter the Library.

The Society maintains an agreement with Columbia University under which Seminar students enjoy stack privileges at Butler and Avery libraries. Both libraries are open evenings for the duration of the university's summer session, which covers the greater part of our Seminar. A letter of introduction, secured from Dr. Wartenberg, should be presented at 234 Butler (the small office immediately to the right of the entrance) and a card valid for the duration of the Seminar will be issued. This card does not entitle students to borrowing privileges. Students from institutions affiliated with the Research Libraries Group may be entitled to borrowing privileges.

Because the Society cannot provide individual computers to students, participants are encouraged to bring portable computers. A few workstation are available on a shared basis. Temporary network connections will be provided to students with ethernet equipped portable computers.

Training will be provided in the use of the Society's collection management system.

Students will be trained in the use of the Society's digital photography and scanning equipment.  Use of the digital camera is restricted, and students should consult with the Photographer regarding its use. The photographic reproduction of Library materials should be discussed and cleared in advance with the Librarian. Since photocopying facilities are limited, restraint in using them will be appreciated.

Outside the coin vault is the Society's photo file, which consists of ca. 500,000 file cards with images of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, medieval, Islamic, and South Asian coins, mostly culled from auction and sale catalogues. The utility of the file depends upon the accuracy of filing, so it is imperative that utmost care be taken in refiling any cards removed from the file. When in doubt, ask. File cards should never be removed from the building.

Students who wish to bring their own food, and eat on the ANS premises should eat on the first floor in the Ballroom. There is a small refrigerator on the fourth floor for perishables.  Each individual is responsible for keeping the refrigerator on the fourth floor and eating area on the first floor clean. No food or drink is allowed in the library.

Smoking is not permitted in the building.

Staff telephones cannot be used for personal calls. Except in emergencies, incoming calls will not be forwarded but a message will be delivered at the earliest opportunity.

Stipends are paid in two installments, on Thursday of the first week and at the beginning of the fourth week of the Seminar. The payment of the second installment is contingent upon satisfactory performance in the seminar. Checks will be drawn on the Society's account at the Chase Bank.

The stipends are intended to reimburse expenses incurred by students during their attendance at the Seminar program. The recipient of the grant is responsible for determining whether the grant, in whole or in part, is includable in gross income for federal tax purposes. It is our understanding that amounts in excess of that required for books, supplies and equipment required to participate in the Graduate Seminar program are taxable income.