Library Catalog
Explore millions of items from The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The Research Catalog also provides researchers with access to offsite storage items from NYPL, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Harvard University. Items will be delivered to The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building in 1-2 business days.
Search the Catalog
Research Catalog—catalog.nypl.org:
Searching the Library’s online Catalog can serve as the first step in order to see if the library holds any material on your artist of interest. Books are good sources for well-known artists, but may not be available for artists that are more obscure. Do not discount non-English language sources since they cover artists of all nationalities and may be the only sources containing information.
There are different ways to search for books on individual artists:
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The best way is to search under “Subject” (LastName, FirstName)
- It is with this type of search that you can find material about the artist such as biographies, criticisms, interpretations and analysis about an artist's life and body of work.
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Artists can also be searched for as “Author” (LastName, FirstName)
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It is with this type of search that you can find an artist's critical writings, artists' books, collaborations with other artists and writers, and exhibition catalogs.
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You can also do a “Keyword” search if your subject and author searches provide you with little or no results.
Need additional suggestions? View our guide: How to Research an Artist.
Subject Headings
NYPL uses the Library of Congress Subject headings to help navigate the catalog.
- Searching by “Subject” can be a great way to begin
- Subjects headings can begin with a topic. (Some examples are listed below)
- Subject headings can be subdivided by time period (century), geographic location, country or movement. (Some examples are listed below).
Library Card
A Library card will provide you with access to our collections and our remote digital resources. New York residents or visitors to NYC (domestic or international), can apply online for a new library card. Please note, a photo ID and proof of address are needed to validate your card when you visit. You can find more information about library cards on the NYPL website. In-person, same-day requests and onsite deliveries may take up to two hours.
How to Request Offsite Items from the Research Catalog
Items that are located offsite can be requested via the "Request for on-site use" button found in the Catalog.
You can select the location where you would like the material delivered or if you would like a small portion of the item scanned after logging in with your Library card and pin number. Please note: Delivery of same-day requests and onsite items may take up to two hours.
Consultations with a Librarian
Meet Virtually with a Librarian
Researchers of all levels are welcome to schedule an online consultation with our librarians. Consultations include: catalog navigation, demonstration of online services and databases (articles, abstracts, etc...), as well as exploration of sources for a specific topic. To schedule a consultation, please click on the link above or email us at: art@nypl.org. A Librarian will review your query and get back to you as soon as possible.
How to Find Material Outside of NYPL
WorldCat -- A catalog that links to multiple libraries holdings in a one-stop search engine for easy searching across libraries worldwide.
Interlibrary Loan Services & Document Delivery (ILL) -- Interlibrary Services provides access to materials held at libraries outside the NYPL system. To begin using ILL, please create an ILL account online.