Explore the Library

The Getty Library houses over 1.5 million books, periodicals, photographs, archives, and special collections, focusing on the history of art, architecture, and archaeology.

The library is open to all and advances understanding of the visual arts and their diverse histories.

A person walks up a ramp in a large circular library while two other people use books and laptops to do research at separate desks.

By the Numbers

  • 1.5M volumes of books, journals, and sales catalogs on art, history, and visual culture from around the world
  • 18K Readers from over 70 countries, spanning all disciplines and stages of research
  • 15 miles of archives, manuscripts, and architectural drawings covering centuries of history
  • 24K volumes added to the library annually, offering access to the latest publications in art historical research

Library Collections

A person pushes a cart filled with books down a ramp in a circular library.

General Collections

The library’s collections contain a vast array of secondary sources, including over 1.5 million volumes of books, periodicals, and sales catalogs.

These collections emphasize key fields such as the literature of art history, the methods and materials of artistic creation, and conservation. Focus areas include classical antiquities, medieval and Renaissance art, sculpture, decorative arts, prints, drawings, and photography.

A scholar gestures at artwork laid out on tables in the Getty Research Institute's Special Collections Reading Room as other people look on.

Special Collections

The special collections feature rare and distinctive materials in art history and visual culture, emphasizing works on paper like rare books, prints, and photographs, as well as archives, manuscripts, sketchbooks, albums, institutional archives, and audiovisual recordings made by and about artists. Visit the special collections page to explore selected highlights from our collections.

Recent acquisitions highlight Southern California’s art and architecture contributions, particularly Los Angeles in the postwar era.

Two people sit at a table in a library with books, notebooks, and a laptop. One person points to something on the computer screen with a pencil.

Digitized Collections

The library’s digitized general and special collections grow daily due to our core mission of making materials easily available to researchers around the world.

Digitized archives include materials like architectural drawings and models, letters and sketchbooks by artists, and rare photographs covering myriad subjects, ranging from the Alexander Liberman photo archive showcasing European and American artists and historical sites, to the Clark Worswick collection capturing the cultures of China and Southeast Asia.

Researchers can access digitized published materials not only through the Library Catalog, but also via resources like the Internet Archive, Getty Research Portal, and the Getty Publications Virtual Library.

A photograph of 8 photographs of a painting of a woman making lace, spread on a table and overlapping.

Photo Archive

The Photo Archive houses over two million photographic reproductions of fine art, architecture, and decorative art, forming a comprehensive visual compendium spanning antiquity to the modern period with a primarily western focus.

The collection is a vital resource for provenance, iconography, conservation, and historiography. It holds particular significance for the history of art reproductions.

A person pushes a cart filled with books down a ramp in a circular library.
A scholar gestures at artwork laid out on tables in the Getty Research Institute's Special Collections Reading Room as other people look on.
Two people sit at a table in a library with books, notebooks, and a laptop. One person points to something on the computer screen with a pencil.
A photograph of 8 photographs of a painting of a woman making lace, spread on a table and overlapping.

Need More Help?

Have a question or need help with your research? Our dedicated team of reference librarians can offer guidance and support.

A person in a library sits at a desk and types on a laptop while another person pulls a books from a shelf.