Research Resources
Research Library

Introduction | Collection | Electronic Resources | Reference Service | Library Catalogue | Research Library Query form

Reference Service

The National Gallery of Australia Research Library is a world-class art library. As well as a general coverage of art history, the Research Library's collections have particular strengths which match those of the Gallery's art collection.

A Reference Service is available to the public online, and via email, phone, fax or post. Our holdings are listed on the national database [Kinetica] or you can go direct to our catalogue on the World Wide Web via our network Unilinc Shared System catalogue.

For information about an artist or a work of art please use the reference library query form.

• Reader's tickets
• External access policy
• Inter-Library Loans

 

Contact details
email rlr@nga.gov.au (not to be used for reference enquiries)
phone +61 2 6240 6530
fax +61 2 6273 2155

Postal address
Reference Desk
National Gallery of Australia Research Library
GPO Box 1150
Canberra ACT 2601

 

Reader's tickets
Applications for a reader's ticket are approved for research and professional purposes. The following categories receive automatic approval: practising artists; staff of national collections, other museums and galleries; academics; honours, masters or PhD students preparing theses; art historians; teachers; journalists; designers; librarians etc. Please check the external access policy or call the reference service for further information.

Anyone may make an appointment to use particular items not reasonably available elsewhere under the 'Library of last resort' principle.

External Access Policy

Temporary access arrangements for registered readers
Monday 4 August 2008 to Friday 14 November 2008

From Monday 4 August 2008 to Friday 14 November 2008 access to the Research Library will be by appointment only.
This is due to construction work for the Gallery’s Stage 1 project. There will also be changes to lift access, due to a lift upgrade, and so visitors will be required to use some stairs.

Appointments must be made at least 24 hours before your planned visit.
To make an appointment, call 02 6240 6533, or email rlr@nga.gov.au

Rare books and archival collections.
Availability of archival collections and rare books will be restricted during this stage of work. Please contact the Research Library before your visit if you wish to use these collections.
For inquiries about rare books, call 02 6240 6530, or email rlr@nga.gov.au
For inquiries about archives and special collections, call the Special Collections Archivist, 02 6240 6493, or email Jennifer.Coombes@nga.gov.au

For information regarding use of the Research Library, call the Reference Desk, 02 6240 6530 or email rlr@nga.gov.au

The Gallery apologises for the inconvenience necessitated by this important enhancement construction work.

Our access policies and range of services are designed to give everyone some form of access to all our information without making it impossible for us to provide the level of service required by the Gallery staff and those using the Research Library for advanced professional research.

For reasons of security, space and resources, external access is by reader's ticket, which is not unusual in a research library of this type. Applications for a reader's ticket are approved for research and professional purposes. In addition, the 'library of last resort' principle applies for specific titles if we hold the only reasonably accessible copy of a work. 'Professional purposes' covers artists, curators, museum staff, researchers, art historians, academics, teachers, journalists, designers etc.

We have written contracts with both the Australian National University and the University of Canberra which give automatic approval to university staff and students preparing Honours, Masters or Ph.D theses. These agreements are used as a model for our response to tertiary institutions throughout Australia.

Recreational or undergraduate/diploma requests (except for thesis work) for a reader's ticket cannot as a rule be accommodated.

The Access policy of the National Gallery of Australia Research Library has been developed to enable us to give appropriate service on a national basis. We have tried to avoid undue bias towards Canberra and have put restrictions on personal access to allow us to give the best possible service to those for whom the public, university, national or state  libraries cannot provide what is needed.

Inter-Library Loans
Inter-Library Loans are available through other libraries. Libraries should contact Inter-Library Loans on:

email ill@nga.gov.au
phone +61 2 6240 6533
fax +61 2 6273 2155

Members of the public should contact the Reference Service for further information.