Frequently Asked Questions

Nearly all of the information provided in this section can be found elsewhere on the Web site, and in each case appropriate links have been provided. You may also wish to search the Web site, which is available on the menu at left.

Library FAQs:

Do I need an appointment to use the Library?
Do I need to be a member of The Frick Collection to use the Library?
Who can use the Library?
How do I use the Library?
Can I bring my child or infant to the Library?
How do I determine if the Library has a book I am looking for?
How do I locate materials held by the Library?
What materials are stored off site?
How do I request off-site materials?
Does the Library authenticate or valuate works of art?
Can I check out materials from the Library?
Can I make photocopies from Library materials?
How do I ask a reference question?
Does the Library offer copy stand appointments?
Are electronic resources available remotely?
What is the Frick Art Reference Library Photoarchive?
Can I bring my purse or bag with me when visiting the Library?
Can I use a camera or a digital camera at the Library?
Can I use highlighers, sticky notes, or other office supplies at the Library?
Are laptop computers allowed in the Library?
Is wireless Internet access available at the Library?

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Do I need an appointment to use the Library? Do I need to be a member of The Frick Collection to use the Library? Who can use the Library? How do I use the Library?

The Frick Art Reference Library was founded to serve "adults with a serious interest in art," among them scholars, art professionals, collectors, and students. The Library is, therefore, open to all researchers with or without institutional affiliation. No appointment is necessary to use the Library. The Library is open to all researchers free of charge. First-time researchers are asked to arrive before 3:00 p.m. on weekdays or before 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays, and to bring a photo ID. The Library is open weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays, from September through May, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Library is closed major holidays, holiday weekends, and the month of August.

For more information, see Library: General Information.

Can I bring my child or infant to the Library?

The Frick Art Reference Library is open only to "adults with a serious interest in art," among them scholars, art professionals, collectors, and students. Therefore, children and infants are not permitted in the Library.

How do I determine if the Library has a book I am looking for? How do I locate materials held by the Library?

The collections of the Frick Art Reference Library can be searched using the online catalog, FRESCO. It contains records for the book collection, photoarchive collection, auction catalogs collection, microform collection, and electronic resources. FRESCO is available on site at the Library or off site using a computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser. The link to FRESCO is listed below.

FRESCO (Frick Research Catalog Online)
http://fresco.frick.org

What materials are off site? How do I request off-site materials?

The Library has moved periodicals published between 1931 and 2004, and auction catalogs published between 1996 and 2005 to an off-site storage facility. These periodicals and catalogs are not immediately available for examination and require forty-eight to seventy-two hours for retrieval. Request for off-site materials must be placed in person at the Reference Desk.

Does the Library authenticate or valuate works of art?

The Frick Art Reference Library does not authenticate or valuate works of art. The staff is happy to provide researchers with information and/or materials to allow them to draw their own conclusions. The Library usually refers researchers to the professional appraiser and dealer associations listed below.

Art Dealers Association of America
575 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-940-8590
Fax: 212-940-7013
http://www.artdealers.org

National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America
12 East 56th Street
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-826-9707
Fax: 212-319-0471
http://www.naadaa.org

Appraisers Association of America Inc.
386 Park Avenue South, Suite 2000
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-889-5404
Fax: 212-889-5503
http://www.appraisersassoc.org

Private Art Dealers Association of America
Daisy Walker and Juliet O'Brien Administrator
P.O. Box 872, Lenox Hill Station
New York, NY 10021
Phone: 212-572-0772
Fax: 212-572-8398
http://www.pada.net

IFAR Authentication Research Service
500 Fifth Avenue, Suite 935
New York, NY 10110
Phone: 212-391-6234
http://www.ifar.org/auth_main.htm

Can I check out materials from the Library?

The Frick Art Reference Library is a closed-stacks, noncirculating art research library. Materials must be consulted in the Library’s reading rooms.

Can I make photocopies from Library materials?

The Frick Art Reference Library offers a non-self-serve, black-and-white photocopying service. The cost is $.50 a page, with a limit of twenty pages from each item. One order a day, which can contain several items, may be submitted. The Library cannot guarantee same day service.

For more information, see Reprographics.

How do I ask a reference question?

If you are located in the New York metropolitan area, you may visit the Frick Art Reference Library to examine materials and obtain research assistance from the Library’s Reference Staff, or you may call the Reference Desk at 212-547-0641 weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or Saturdays, September through May, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you live outside of the New York metropolitan area, you may place a reference request through a Web-based form.

Does the Library offer copy stand appointments?

The Frick Art Reference Library does not offer copy stand appointments. Please see the section for cameras and digital cameras below.

Are electronic resources available remotely?

The subscription electronic resources listed in FRESCO, the online catalog can only be accessed when visiting the Library. However, non-subscription Web sites listed in FRESCO and on the institutional Web site can be searched from off site.

What is the Frick Art Reference Library Photoarchive?

The Frick Art Reference Library Photoarchive is a collection of photographs and clippings that reproduce works of art for study purposes. It does not contain stock photography or fine art photography.

Can I bring my purse or bag with me when visiting the Library?

Purses, bags, or laptop cases that exceed the dimensions of 9” x 12” x 3” must be checked in the Library cloakroom. Any bags exceeding these dimensions are not permitted in the the Reading Rooms.

Can I use a camera or digital camera at the Library?

The Frick Art Reference Library allows the use of digital cameras in the Reading Room by appointment. Researchers must schedule an appointment in advance with the Reference Staff. Appointments are supervised and are a half an hour in length. Researchers are limited to one appointment per week. Up to twenty pages from an item can be photographed, or one article or contribution to a periodical or collected work can be photographed from an item. Items being photographed are subject to approval by the Conservation department.

Can I use highlighters, sticky notes, or other office supplies at the Library?

The use of highlighters, sticky notes, or other office supplies is not permitted in the Reading Room. Any needed supplies in the general course of research are provided by the Library.

Are laptop computers allowed in the Library? Is wireless Internet access available at the Library?

Laptop computers are permitted in the Reading Rooms. Wireless Internet access is available in the Reading Rooms for researchers who have computers with wireless capabilities. This service is provided as a convenience to our researchers. It is a closed system and you must log on with a username and password. See the Reading Room staff for information about how to log on to our wireless network.

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