The library is open to the public. Visitors are welcome to view the books and periodicals, carry out research, study or draw inspiration from the collections. Members can borrow books. The library contains books, periodicals and audiovisual material on such subjects as art history, art criticism, art theory, artists’ writings, painting and sculpture, graphic art, performance, photography, video art and architecture. It also has smaller basic collections on language and literature, social sciences and natural sciences. The library collection comprises approximately 38,000 volumes, 75 magazine and periodical subscriptions and some 1600 video tapes, DVDs and CD-ROMs.

You are free to browse through the collections. There is a large reading and work table and staff are always present to help you find the right information. Books and catalogues are lent out for a period of three weeks. Publications from the depot (approximately 1740 to 1940) and older volumes of periodicals can be consulted upon request. The library has photocopiers and scanners and equipment for viewing videos, DVDs and CD-ROMs.

Visitors can easily find what they are looking for in the online catalogue. The library of the Rijksakademie is affiliated to the Cooperating Libraries Adamnet.