Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas

Research facilities

Anthropology Library and Research Centre

The Anthropology Library and Research Centre is located near the north entrance to the Museum and is home to the Anthropology Library, as well as offering access to information about ethnographic collections and an object identification service.

Anthropology Library

Collections

The Anthropology Library is one of the world’s major specialist anthropology libraries. Formed by the amalgamation of the Museum’s Ethnography library and the library of the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) it now contains over 120,000 volumes, covering all aspects of anthropology, but with a particular strength in material culture. The collection covers the whole world and the library continues to collect both domestic and overseas material, where appropriate

The Library is renowned for its extensive journal collection: over 1,500 periodical titles are currently subscribed to with approximately 4,000 titles held in total. The holdings are used as the basis for the Anthropological Index Online (AIO) which is produced by the RAI. The close relationship with the RAI endures to this day and plays an important role in helping to grow the collection through the Institute’s extensive network of exchange agreements with similar learned institutions.  

The library’s rare books collection dates back to the 16th century and is a combination of the rare books from both the RAI and the collections of the former Ethnography Library at the Museum (the two founding library collections). A significant proportion of them came from Henry Christy, a Victorian industrialist, who donated his library to the Museum in 1865. Christy’s library focussed very much on travel, especially European exploration and settlement of Africa, America (North and South), Asia and Oceania in the 18th and 19th centuries. Whilst some of the Christy collection has been distributed among a number of the Museum’s other departmental libraries, the bulk of it resides with the Anthropology Library.

Catalogue

The library’s catalogue is available online via the Museum’s website and is also available via COPAC.

Electronic resources

The library subscribes to a wide variety of e-resources and electronic journals which are available to readers on site.

Facilities

There are over 25 study places and wifi is available throughout the library.

Photocopying facilities are available at a cost of 10p per A4 or A3 sheet. Please check with staff before photocopying oversize or pre-1914 material. We allow digital photography (without flash) for private research use only and may require a copyright declaration form to be filled in.

Opening hours

The Anthropology Library and Research Centre is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-5pm and Thursdays from 12-5pm. We are closed on weekends and public holidays.

Access

Members of the public

The library is open to the public for reference and research only. The registration form and our terms and conditions of use can be downloaded below. Photographic ID will be required on all visits.

Registration form

Terms and conditions of use

Members of the Royal Anthropological Institute

Fellows of the Royal Anthropological Institute are eligible to borrow books and access e-resources once they have registered with the ALRC. Please contact the ALRC for the registration form. Photographic ID will be required on all visits.
For more information about membership of the institute, please contact the RAI directly.