Opening hours
Usual opening hours are:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 11am to 5pm
- Tuesday: 12pm to 7pm
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and bank holidays: Closed
Update on the interim RIBA Library service, March 2025
As we continue to develop plans for our interim library service during the upcoming refurbishment of 66 Portland Place, this update aims to help our users to plan ahead. Please note that plans may still change, and users are always advised to check ahead of any visit.
Timetable
- Thursday 30 January 2025: access to our Photographs Collection at 66 Portland Place is now closed. Access will resume later in the year at our interim location in Stockwell.
- Thursday 10 April 2025: the last day our library at 66 Portland Place is open until after refurbishment works, with our onsite service here ceasing from 5pm.
- April to September 2025: we will continue to respond to email enquiries, but response times may be longer than usual as staff will be supporting the moves. As our collections will be in transit during this time, material will become inaccessible.
- Mid-September 2025: through our partnership with The London Archives and at our store in Stockwell, we will continue to offer access to the collections while our building at 66 Portland Place is closed. We aim to open our interim service at both sites in mid-September 2025. We will provide an opening date, service hours and service arrangements for these locations as soon as we can. An update is currently expected in late May 2025.
Interim service
Prospective visitors to both our temporary locations are advised to plan ahead and check the location of the material they require by emailing library@riba.org
We have prioritised providing access to as much material as possible during the temporary closure of 66 Portland Place, in line with the results of our survey of users, supported by the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, in 2024. To achieve this, a compromise has had to be made on the browsability of material. This means that users will need to check our online catalogue and pre-order items from stores, rather than browsing library shelves.
Material at The London Archives
Here we will prioritise the availability of our most heavily requested library collections, as well as those that cannot be found readily elsewhere, including:
- journals
- a small selection of quick reference material, including our indexes and biographical directories
- access in person to the expertise of the RIBA Library team
Material at our store in Stockwell
Access to the Stockwell store will be by prior appointment, with booking instructions to follow in due course. Here you will find:
- our Photographs Collection
- the majority of our books collection
- our Early Works collection
- access in person to the expertise of the RIBA Library and RIBA Collections teams
Arrangements for access to the RIBA Drawings and Archives collections remain unchanged at this time
About the RIBA library
Our library on the third floor of 66 Portland Place in London offers access to books, periodicals, and photographs in the RIBA Collections. Our collections range from 15th century illustrated texts to the latest architectural journals and photographs from around the world.
Admission
Entry is free and everyone is welcome. You will be asked to sign in with a photo ID or RIBA membership card.
Food and drink are not permitted in the reading room and bags must be left in the free lockers provided.
Ahead of your visit, we encourage you to read our Information for Researchers (PDF) document. For queries or comments on our library service, please email library@riba.org
Access to materials
Many of our books and journals can be browsed on open-access shelving. Closed-access books and journals can be requested on the day of your visit.
For access to our drawings and archives collections, please visit the RIBA Architecture Study Rooms at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
While the Photographs Collection is closed, queries about the collection can still be emailed to photo@riba.org
Accessibility
Step-free access is available by lift to the third floor. Guide dogs are welcome.
Photography, reprographics and Wi-Fi
Photography of books and periodicals is permitted for the purposes of non-commercial research or private study. Please read our personal photography policy before visiting. A remote scanning service is also available, please contact us to enquire.
A scanner and free Wi-Fi are available.
Revisiting the Collections
Our items have been collected and catalogued over almost two centuries, with some items dating back to the 15th century. Some materials and descriptions contain outdated and offensive language or need further contextualising. We are working to address this and to ensure that our collections and descriptions are appropriate to our audiences today.
Donations
Our library is able to run thanks to the generous donations from supporters. If you would like to also contribute to the ongoing work and upkeep of our library and collections please consider donating to us.
