We're Here to Help:
Chat with a librarian
Email or call the library for assistance with your research or to inquire about library services.
Learn more about virtual library services.
Library Hours:
COVID-19 - Library closed to readers beginning March 16, 2020
Aeon is The Huntington Library's online request management system. Staff uses the system to manage circulation to the Ahmanson Reading Room, while readers use the system to place requests for rare materials. An Aeon account allows you to:
Visit our FAQs page for answers to frequently asked questions about Aeon. If you need further assistance, please contact the library.
N.B. Aeon is not a catalog or discovery tool; it is the system you used to register with the library as a reader. To learn about search tools, visit our Library Resources guide.
To ensure your requests are available in a timely manner, please submit your requests at least 72 hours in advance of your visit. You may request up to five items per appointment. We recommend using the "Keep for My Review" feature to create a list of requests for future appointments.
Space permitting, materials may be held up to two weeks. Once returned, all materials are quarantined for 72 hours before being reshelved or checked out to another reader.
Rare materials with the status "RARE – PAGE AEON" may be requested from the catalog record:
1) Click on the "Request item via Aeon" button.
2) Log in to your Aeon account when prompted.
3) Make sure all fields marked with an asterisk are complete.
4) Schedule a retrieval date by clicking on the calendar icon or select "Keep for My Review."
5) Click "Submit Request."
N.B. Rare materials with the status "NOT AVAILABLE" are closed and unavailable for paging to the reading room until processed by the library's cataloging department. Please contact us for more information.
Rare collections with the status "RARE – PAGE AEON" and a finding aid may be requested through the Online Archive of California (OAC).
If you have found a collection in the catalog with a finding aid, click on "View finding aid and request materials." The finding aid will open in a new tab or window.
1) Review the available inventory or contents list.
2) Click on the "Request items ↗" button.
3) Log in to your Aeon account when prompted.
4) Select a series from the content list and select the checkbox next to the item(s) you wish to request. A separate request will be automatically submitted for each box you check.
5) Schedule a retrieval date by clicking on the calendar icon or select "Keep for my Review."
6) Click "Submit Request."
You may use a blank "New Reading Room Request" form if you have a reference or citation that is not available in the library catalog.
1) Log in to your Aeon account.
2) From the left sidebar menu, select "Manuscripts," "Rare Books" and "Visual Materials" depending on the material type you are requesting.
3) Fill out the form with the bibliographic details available to you.
4) The fields marked with an asterisk are required. If you do not know the details for those fields, enter "unknown" or "not applicable."
5) Optional: Fill out the "Notes to Staff, Special Requests, and Questions" field to help us identify and locate the item.
6) Schedule a retrieval date by clicking on the calendar icon or select "Keep for My Review."
7) Click "Submit Request."
N.B. Reader Services offers online help sessions to help researches identify items not recorded in the library catalog.
An item may be restricted due to its rarity, fragility or for preservation reasons. These requests require a curatorial review and extended delivery time. If approved, these requests will be brought to the reading room by a curator.
Collections or archives are occasionally restricted at the donor's request or due to copyright. These collections may also require curatorial approval and extended delivery time.
All requests for restricted materials may be placed by following the steps for requesting through the library catalog.
When logged in to Aeon, you can find a list of your outstanding requests on your account dashboard. Aeon tracks and updates the status of requests in real-time:
Use the "Keep for My Review" feature to create and add to a list of requests that exceed your limit of five. You can use this feature to ready requests for future appointments.
Note that these requests are not automatically submitted and must be manually activated. To activate a request:The request will now appear on your account dashboard with a status of Awaiting Request Processing.