Scottish National Gallery Research Library
The Scottish National Gallery Research Library Collection covers the period from about 1300 to about 1900, reflecting the Gallery's art collection.
It holds approximately 50,000 volumes of books and journals, as well as photographs, microfiches, archival material relating to the history of the Scottish National Gallery and information dossiers for each painting and sculpture in the collection. It holds many monographs, catalogues raisonnés, public collection catalogues, auction sale and exhibition catalogues.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery Library
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery’s Library comprises some 50,000 items including auction and exhibition catalogues, periodicals, monographs and reference books. The collection exists to support the work of curators, educators, researchers and students.
The primary focus of the collection is the history of Scotland and Scottish society, with particular strengths in biographies of Scots and Scottish portraiture.
The collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century auction catalogues contain unique annotations, which provide evidence of the Gallery’s early collecting policy. The periodical collection focuses on Scottish history, art history and photography with holdings dating back to the late nineteenth century.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Library
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Library is based at Modern Two and consists of around 50,000 items, including monographs, catalogues raisonnés, exhibition catalogues, periodicals, auction sales catalogues, audio-visual material, and ephemera relating broadly to modern and contemporary art (1900 onwards) and specifically to the Gallery of Modern Art collections.
The library’s great strengths are Dada and Surrealism, early twentieth century artists and contemporary Scottish art. Artists’ books and special books are held in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Archive and Special Collections and can be searched for using the Archive catalogue.
The National Galleries of Scotland Library Collections are reference only and are open by appointment, Monday to Friday. Please note not all items are listed on the online catalogue. Retrospective cataloguing is ongoing and the catalogue will be updated regularly.