Reference library

We endeavour to respond to your email and appointment requests within 5 working days. Thank you for your patience. 

The Reference Library holds materials relating to the collections of the Museum (fine arts, applied arts, antiquities, numismatics and rare books and manuscripts). 

The library is open to everyone by appointment. Our reading room is located in the Museum’s Founder’s Library (Gallery 25). 

If you are hoping to use the reading room, please use this Reference Library Appointment Request Form to submit an enquiry and include a list of materials you would like to consult after browsing our database iDiscover A member of staff will contact you to confirm your appointment within 5 working days.  

Please note that all materials will need to be retrieved prior to your appointment, and you will not be able to request additional materials during your visit. If you have any further enquiries, please contact library@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk. 

Opening Hours

The library is open Tuesdays to Fridays, 10:00-16:30 (closed for the lunchtime period 13:00-14:00). Opening hours are subject to staff availability. 

The library is closed on Good Friday, all Bank Holiday Mondays, and between Christmas and New Year. 

Call: 01223 764398 

Email:library@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk. 

**Collections **

Browse our latest additions to the library here. 

Our holdings can be found on iDiscover. which searches all Cambridge University Library Collections. Borrowing is not permitted except by members of Museum and Hamilton Kerr Institute staff. 

We have a number of textbooks relating to the fine arts, decorative arts, numismatics, rare books and manuscripts, and antiquities. The Library also extends its collecting policy to museum studies, conservation and heritage science. 

The Reference Library collects publications and exhibitions catalogues produced by the Fitzwilliam Museum. We also hold many exhibition and collection catalogues from the world’s leading museums and art galleries. 

We hold a significant number of auction catalogues from Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillip’s sales, including some which are annotated by notable museum donors. We also have major runs of catalogues from smaller dealers, and many catalogues not held by any other institution. 

For catalogues relating to numismatics, please contact library@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk for further information. 

The library holds nearly 200 current periodicals, and many more which are now ceased. These include major art and antiquities journals, and reports and journals from museums and galleries worldwide. 

Guide to Classmarks and Finding Materials 

Our holdings can be found on iDiscover, which searches all Cambridge University Library Collections.

We use Library of Congress Classification for the majority of the collection. 

For exhibition catalogues, the classmark is City. Year (or for London institutions, Institution. Year), i.e. Paris.1989 or New York. 2022. 

Sales and dealers’ catalogues are in alphabetical order by the dealer’s name. The majority of sales catalogues, particularly Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillip’s catalogues, are still being retrospectively added to the online catalogue, so please contact us even if you don’t see the catalogue you’re looking for, as it may be available. 

A classmark of “Reserved” means that the item is part of the Museum’s Rare Books and Manuscript collection. For information on how to access this material, contact the Study Room. 

A classmark with "HKI" and/or location "Hamilton Kerr Institute" means the book is held in the Hamilton Kerr Institute Library, a sub-section of the Reference Library that is located off-site. Please allow at least 10 working days' notice if you wish to view these materials in our Reading Room within the Museum.  

When requesting materials for your appointment, please state clearly the title, author, and classmark, and in the case of dealers’ catalogues, the date of the sale including day and month. 

Additional Information

Photography and Photocopying 

Readers are welcome to take photographs of the materials, subject to copyright law. There are no photocopying facilities available. 

WiFi Access 

Cambridge University staff and students have access to WiFi in the library through Uni of Cam. Visitors from other academic institutions are able to access WiFi through Eduroam (this needs to be set up in advance at your home institution). Guest passes can be requested by external visitors. 

Food and Drinks (except for water) are not permitted in the Reading Room. Please leave any bags and coats in the locker facilities available upon your arrival at the Museum.