Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library

Established in 1962, the Clark library has become one of the major art reference and research libraries in the country. Focusing on post-medieval European and American art, the collection is outstanding in the Italian and Northern Renaissance, Baroque, and French nineteenth-century fields and is well balanced in other areas. A recent grant has helped to expand collections of contemporary Asian, African, and Latin American art. The library's resources include approximately 230,000 books, bound periodicals, and auction sales catalogues, with current journal subscriptions numbering around 650.

Founded on the libraries of the former firm of Duveen Brothers (New York) and of the late Dutch art historian W. R. Juynboll, the Clark also holds an important collection of books on the decorative arts given by Mary Ann Beinecke and a collection of works on early twentieth-century art (with particular strengths in Dada and Surrealism) given by George Heard Hamilton, former director of the Institute. Robert Sterling Clark's outstanding collection of rare books is notable for its illustrated books, fine bindings, and literature in rare editions. In addition, the library holdings include a collection of twentieth-century artists' books.