The Fitzwilliam Museum Reference Library houses over 300,000 books, catalogues and periodicals relating to the Fine Arts, Applied Arts and Antiquities.
Due to planned building works, the Reading Room is currently closed and is likely to remain so until April-May 2013. Access to the Library's materials may be possible by prior arrangement with Library staff. Please contact the Library staff on 01223 764398 or fitzmuseum-library@lists.cam.ac.uk for more information.
Visitors are welcome to use the Museum's Reference Library, which is located in Room 30 just inside the courtyard entrance. It is open to scholars, students and other interested persons.
Details of most of the library's holdings may be found on Newton, the Cambridge University Union catalogue. Access to the catalogue is available via the web, and there are three dedicated catalogue terminals within the library. Some older material is still listed only on the card catalogues which are housed in the Reference Library.
It is not necessary to make an appointment to use the Reference Library, but, as some of the library is housed in parts of the Museum other than the Reference Library, it is not always possible to provide instant access to materials. Staff will do their utmost to fetch such 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.
The library does not loan material, but is for reference purposes only.