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  Home>Research>Library
      

      
      Search National Gallery of Art Library
 Discover the National Gallery of Art Library’s exceptional resources—from special exhibitions to collections of rare books, handmade artists’ books, and art images.
 Library Catalog Online
						
							Browse the online catalog of books and journal titles owned by the library, including auction catalogs, proprietary databases, and art history resources online.

								
								
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 Make an Appointment
						
							Visit us during open hours, weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended for first-time visitors and required for those who would like advance book retrieval.


								
								
									Make an Appointment
 Ask a Librarian
						
							We welcome inquiries on a wide range of subjects supported by the library's collections and resources available elsewhere.

								
								
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 Research and Collections
 Information for Researchers
            
            	We welcome those curious about art to use our collections. Learn more about our policies and prepare for your visit.
 Rare Books
            
            	Our rare books collection comprises over 12,000 volumes of early printed books and primary source material related to the history of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, particularly the Italian, Dutch, Flemish, French, German, Spanish, British, and American schools.
 Image Collections
            
            	The library’s department of image collections is a study and research center predominantly for images of Western art and architecture and is one of the largest of its kind. Its holdings number over 16 million photographs, slides, negatives, microforms, and digital images.
 Periodicals
            
            	The library offers more than 3,000 scholarly journal titles, including over 1,000 current digital and print subscriptions to scholarly journals of art history in Western languages. A selection of current newspapers and general-interest magazines is available in the periodicals reading room.
 Auction Catalogs
            
            	One of the best collections of auction catalogs in North America (more than 100,000 publications from the 18th century onward) is shelved on the concourse level by name of the house or dealer, and up to 10 per day can be retrieved for a reader.
 Vertical Files
            
            	Published documents of fewer than 50 pages—small catalogs, pamphlets, invitations, and other ephemera—are housed in the vertical files. Documenting exhibitions primarily from the mid-20th century onward, the collection offers exhibition histories and material valuable for provenance research.
 Hours and Location Monday–Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed on federal holidays Make an appointment National Gallery of Art East Building
4th Street and Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC
 Contact Information Use the library contact form or call us at 202.842.6511. To contact Image Collections, use the image collections contact form or call us at 202.842.6026. Mailing address:
National Gallery of Art
2000 South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
 Additional Resources
 Library Exhibitions
 Library FAQs
 About the Library
 Information for Researchers








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