LibGuides: Architecture & History of Art: Home

Architecture & History of Art Collections

The Faculty of Architecture & History of Art’s collections, in support of the study of art and architecture at Cambridge, are rich, diverse and in many cases extraordinarily deep. Print and electronic materials are collected as broadly as possible for all geographic areas and periods. Borrowing is limited to staff and students of Cambridge University. Visitors are welcome to consult our collection but must contact the Library beforehand.

The AHA Library Reading Rooms

The Architecture Room

This room holds 19th-21st century books on architecture. There is a large antique table with antique smoke room chairs for your use, and a small desk by the windows where you'll find one catalogue search station and one general use computer. Most of the materials in this room are borrowable but you may find a few overnight loans or reference only items due to popularity and being on reading lists.

The History of Art Room

This room is a little smaller than the architecture room, holding 19th-21st century publications on History of Art. There is a slightly smaller antique table with comfortable modern seating. You will also find another two computers in this room, one of which is our NPLD (Non-Print Legal Deposit) computer for consulting ebooks, which are not able to be accessed off-site. The second computer is for general use. Most of the materials in this room are borrowable but you may find a few overnight loans or reference only items due to popularity and being on reading lists.

The Rare Books Room

This room holds most of our rare material in secure antique glass-fronted cupboards for easy browsing. All of our rare books have been catalogued so you should be able to find these materials on iDiscover. If you wish to consult any rare materials please send the iDiscover permalink(s) to library@aha.cam.ac.uk so that we can try to locate your requested title(s) ahead of your visit.

Visitor information

Admission
In normal times, admission is free and open to all. Please see our updates page for information about library opening hours and closures. Food and drink are not permitted in the reading room and large bags or items can be left in the library lockers located in the central Faculty corridor.

Access to materials
The library holds a mix of open and closed access materials, with timed retrievals at 12pm and 3pm. Some journals may be offsite at the binders, so please contact us in advance to check availability of these. Access to rare materials must be arranged in advance via email, telephone, or in person.

Accessibility
Step-free access is available by lift from the central faculty corridor. Call ahead for more information so you can plan your visit.

Photography, reprographics and Wi-Fi
Photography of books and periodicals is permitted for the purposes of non-commercial research or private study. As a general rule, you are permitted to photocopy or scan up to 10% or 1 chapter of each book or journal. Please bear in mind that some items may be subject to further copyright limitations.

Photocopiers, scanners and free Wi-Fi are available.

Welcome & Welcome Back

If you are a new student welcome to Cambridge, if you are returning welcome back. These videos give an introduction to Cambridge libraries, and the services which you might expect during your time here.

long-shot of library room with text: Arts and Humanities Libraries Induction

Long-shot of the University Library tower with text: Libraries at Cambridge Video

Resources for My Subject

Architecture & History of Art: Home

The AHA Library Reading Rooms

Visitor information