Dumbarton Oaks Library and Archives
Notice to Dumbarton Oaks Library Readers
Dumbarton Oaks has reopened to Readers. Please contact library@doaks.org to schedule your Reader badge renewal.
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library exists to advance scholarship in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through the comprehensive collection of materials in multiple media, published and unpublished; description and arrangement of those materials and presence of informed staff to ensure efficient access; exhibition of collections; and preservation of knowledge in these disciplines whether in print or digital formats for use by future generations.
Access and Hours
See the information below to access our library and special collections, and see our listing of Holiday Closures. Before you arrive, please review our guide to Using the Collections. To use our images, please fill out the Rights and Reproductions form.
General Collection
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives
Monday–Friday, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m., 1:30–4:30 p.m.
Search the Collections
General and Rare Book Collection materials are searchable via the HOLLIS library catalog. A list of special and archival collections related to Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies, as well as to the history of Dumbarton Oaks and its collections, are available under the Special Collections link.
Library Collections Special Collections
Institutional Archives
The mission of the Dumbarton Oaks Archives is to inventory, conserve, store, and make accessible the institute’s past, current, and future records and artifacts. The collections consist of architectural plans and drawings of Dumbarton Oaks buildings, historical papers and administrative documents, documents pertaining to the institute’s fellows and scholars, images of people, events, buildings, interiors, and gardens at Dumbarton Oaks, and materials relating to Dumbarton Oaks' founders, Mildred Barnes Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss.
Online Resources
Discover the collections through a series of resources, including research portals and online exhibits.
Rights and Reproduction
Obtain images from Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.