The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries borrow materials through interlibrary loan for museum staff only. Museum staff who require an interlibrary loan account should contact Reader Services at readserv@artic.edu to schedule an interlibrary loan orientation. Students, members, docents, and outside researchers should contact their local libraries for all interlibrary loan requests.
The library is a member of SHARES, the Research Libraries Group Shared Resources Service, and we lend materials through interlibrary loan to other SHARES institutions. Our interlibrary loan policies are available through the OCLC policies directory. Librarians seeking loans from our collection may email readserv@artic.edu with questions about interlibrary loan. Although we prefer to receive interlibrary loan requests through OCLC, we also accept requests from international and other non-OCLC libraries through email at readserv@artic.edu.
The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and Archives offer a variety of photoduplication services based on patron needs and the condition of the requested material.
Works of art, text, and other content appearing in these reproductions may be protected by copyright or related interests that are not owned by the museum. It is your responsibility to obtain whatever copyright or other permissions may be required from an artist, the artist’s agent or estate, or any other third party rights holder. By accepting or using these reproductions, you agree to indemnify the museum and hold it harmless against any and all claims, demands, and/or actions of any nature, including the expenses thereof, arising as a result of your use of the reproductions.
Permission to examine material does not automatically include the right to photocopy. The Art Institute may decline a request for photocopies because the materials are oversize, too fragile, or fall outside the “fair use” standard.
Prepayment for photocopy and photographic services is required for all orders.
Researchers are not permitted to use digital scanners or professional photography equipment.
Researchers who would like to take study photographs of materials in the archival collections must consult with the reference desk staff and complete the Permission to Photograph Archival Collections form (available at the reference desk). Restricted and unprocessed materials may not be photographed for any reason without the explicit permission of the archives staff or the library director.
Patrons may scan general collection library materials to email or USB drive free of charge, or print for a fee. All materials must be approved by a reference librarian before using the scanner as some items are deemed too fragile, large, or valuable to be copied on this machine.
For archival papers and special collections items, library staff can make photocopies or digital files for patrons. Costs range between 20¢ and $1 per page.
Photocopy orders of general collection library materials will be ready by the time the reading room opens on the following business day.
Photocopy orders from special collections and archives may take longer to complete.
Long-distance requests are accepted, but additional fees apply.
The libraries will take orders for digital files from library materials and Ryerson and Burnham Archives materials only. Photography of Art Institute of Chicago art collection materials must be requested through the Image Licensing Department. Each image is captured as a 300dpi (publication quality) digital file and delivered digitally. Order forms are available at the reference desk.
Photography orders take up to four weeks to complete (from the time payment is received).
Archival materials cost $30 per image; all other items cost $15.
Visitors to the libraries are welcome to photograph materials themselves for research purposes. Cameras without a flash may be used to photograph books and journals from the general collection. Photographing archival materials requires special permission. The use of professional photography equipment and personal scanners is not permitted in the reading room. Find additional information regarding reading room policies.
The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries and Archives have a small staff that answers a large volume of inquiries from researchers around the world.
We only work on reference inquiries during our public hours, so it may take up to two weeks for you to receive a response.
We recommend that you consult our research guides and discovery tools in order to make your questions as precise as possible. Our reference services are primarily intended to support researchers who will be visiting to use our collections onsite.
We are unable to provide in-depth research assistance to remote researchers, though we can point you to freelance researchers to assist with these types of projects.
Art Institute staff, including the staff in the libraries, may not appraise or authenticate artworks. Librarians can point you to resources that you can use to learn more about the artworks in your collection. This information on researching art and artists and this list of appraisal resources will assist you with this type of research.
Reserve space is available in the reading room to allow patrons to hold materials between visits. Staff at the circulation desk can assist daily readers and Art Institute staff with placing materials on reserve.
Readers who anticipate returning to use material within the next two weeks are encouraged to place these items on temporary reserve at the circulation desk.
Readers may help themselves to reserved materials from the main collection. These items are shelved in the alcove next to the circulation desk.
Reserved materials from the archives and special collections may be requested at the circulation desk.
The reserve period is two weeks, after which materials will be returned to the stacks if no renewal has been requested. Reserves may be renewed at the circulation desk.
Open shelf materials and current periodicals may not be placed on reserve.
Materials on reserve cannot be associated with individual patron records, so library staff cannot associate these materials with your name once the items have been returned to their stack locations.
Instructors may work with Reader Services staff to create a course reserve shelf.
Shelves in the east alcove, behind the reception desk, will be labeled with the course name.
Students may help themselves to the materials on the reserve shelf.
Special collections materials reserved for the course will be held at the circulation desk, and students may request these one at a time for review at the Special Collections table during public hours.
Materials may stay on course reserve for the duration of the semester.
﻿Staff reserves are for the convenience of Art Institute staff who are involved in long-term research and may be established at any time.
Staff may help themselves to reserved materials from the main collection. These items are shelved in the east alcove behind the reception desk.
Materials may stay on staff reserve for the duration of the research project.