@MonicaCellio my understanding; is that anyone can touch old books (i guess all the ones available at hebrewbooks.org and more) even in brooklyn, at the chabad library, it opens 11:00 am, the entrance is on the courtyard of 770 (to the building closer to brooklyn ave) the site is down now but there is/was an online catalog
chabadlibrary.org/catalog/index1.php