The SMFA Library is one of ten branches that comprise the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston libraries. Our collection is focused on contemporary art, and we are the only circulating branch.
The main branch of the MFA libraries is the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library, located on the second floor of Horticultural Hall, at 300 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston. Their collection spans a broad swath of art history, from prehistory to the early twentieth century.
SMFA students, staff, and the general public are welcome to visit the MFA Library Monday - Friday, 1 pm - 5 pm. Their collection is non-circulating, but you may request that books be put aside for you to use during public hours. You can reach the main library at 617-369-3385 or libstaff@mfa.org. Please include each book's title, author, and call number when making requests.
For additional information, please visit their website.
Besides the SMFA and William Morris Hunt libraries, there are eight other curatorial department libraries in the MFA system. While these are not open for browsing or visiting, you may request to see books in their collections.
How do I know if a book is in a curatorial department library?
On its FLO catalog record in the Location field, one of the following branches will be indicated:
How do I request a curatorial department library book?
Send an email to libstaff@mfa.org with the book's title, author, and call number. If your request is successful, the book will be sent to the Main Library (William Morris Hunt) for you to view there. All curatorial branch library books are non-circulating.
The SMFA Library is a member of the Fenway Libraries Online (FLO) consortium, a group of twelve academic libraries (and the Museum of Fine Arts Library) in the Boston area. See here for a complete list of member institutions and their lending policies. The SMFA shares a library catalog with FLO members, so it is easy to search across all collections at once.
SMFA degree and diploma students and all SMFA/MFA staff have borrowing privileges at any of the FLO libraries-- once you set up an account at the SMFA library, you will automatically have an account across all institutions. You may visit these libraries in-person and check out material, or place a request via the FLO catalog for delivery to the SMFA. If you visit in person, you will also have access to any article databases or print periodicals an institution subscribes to as long as you are inside the library building.
The SMFA library is a member of the Fenway Library Consortium, a group that includes the FLO libraries in addition to the following institutions:
SMFA students and staff with a valid ID may visit any of these libraries to set up an account and start checking out materials.
The Boston Public Library is an amazing resource, available to anyone lives, attends school, or is employed in Massachusetts. Setting up a library card with the BPL grants you access to books and DVDs from their 26 branches located throughout the city, as well as online databases, ebooks, audio books, streaming music, and much more.
Visit their Borrowing and Circulating page for more information.