The Reference Library is open by appointment to all who wish to make use of it. For further details or other enquiries, please contact the library on fitzmuseum-library@lists.cam.ac.uk or 01223 764398.
The Reference Library is open Tuesday to Friday, 10.00 -16.30. (Opening hours are not affected by University terms.) In common with the rest of the Museum, it is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Eve, and on such other days in the last week of December and the first week in January as may be determined annually.
The Reference Library houses over 300,000 books, catalogues and periodicals relating to the Fine Arts, Applied Arts and Antiquities. Please note that material relating to coins and medals is held by the Department of Coins and Medals and rare books and manuscripts are held by the Department of Manuscripts and Printed Books, and enquiries relating to this material should be directed to these departments.
Details of most of the library's holdings may be found on the Cambridge University Union catalogue (Newton), (http://newton.lib.cam.ac.uk:7203/).http://newton.lib.cam.ac.uk:7203/). Some older material and dealer’s catalogues are still listed only on the card catalogues which are housed in the Reference Library. Details of most of the library's holdings may be found on Newton, the Cambridge University Union catalogue, which may be accessed via the three terminals in the Reference Library or via the World Wide Web. Some older material and dealer’s catalogues are still listed only on the card catalogues which are housed in the Reference Library.
The Reference Library has books located in many different parts of the Museum. The Reading Room itself contains general reference works and art reference works. Books on the fine arts, including: art, artists, painting and painters, as well as exhibition catalogues and journals are held in rolling stacks and have to be fetched from store.
Books relating to sculpture, decorative arts, antiquities, prints and drawings are held elsewhere within the Museum. To request books held in different locations within the museum, please give details of classmark including location code and title to a member of staff. It is not generally possible to provide instant access to such material. Staff will do their utmost to fetch items by the beginning of the next working day. Readers are asked to give, where possible, advance notice of their needs, in order to avoid delay or disappointment.
There is a self-service photocopier in the library. Photocopies may be made of books and journals, within the limits of copyright law (see below). Please bring change for the machine, which accepts all coins between 5p and £2.00.
Photocopying charges
Black & white Colour
A4 10p 20p
A3 50p £1
Please observe the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 when photocopying copyright material. It is a criminal offence to infringe this Act. Guidelines on copying copyright materials are displayed above the photocopier. For complex photocopying problems, please contact the University Copyright Officer.
The Reference Library houses microfilms of many of the manuscripts belonging to the Museum. These can be viewed on a reader-printer machine from which black and white print outs are obtainable at a cost of £1.35 per A4 copy.