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Reading Room Access and Research Services for AIC Staff: Requesting Loans

Information on Using the Libraries and Archives for Art Institute of Chicago Staff

Requesting Library Materials

How to Request Materials

Click Sign In in the upper right corner of the screen.

Click AIC/SAIC login.

Enter the credentials you use to access your ARTIC email account.

  • Search for the item you would like to request.
  • Select the item from the search results and click to open the record.
  • Click on the Request link:

What Happens Next?

  • Library staff will pull the item.
  • If we have questions, we will be in touch by email. Otherwise, we will deliver the item to the hold shelf in the reading room.
  • You will receive an email when the items are available for you to retrieve. Materials will be available for pick up for 15 days from the day you receive notification that they are available on the hold shelf.
  • The items will be filed on the hold shelf in alphabetical order based on your last name, and call slips will be filed in the items. Please place the call slips in the bin under the hold shelf, and take the materials with you.

If we pull the item and it cannot circulate outside the Library:

  • We will do our best to make it as easy as possible for you to obtain the information that you need.
  • You will receive an email asking you to check the staff reserve shelves in the east alcove or to request a research appointment.
  • If you require additional information, please contact the Library staff.

Turnaround Times

We will do our best to deliver materials as quickly as possible. If an item is marked as available in the onsite stacks, you should receive notification that it was delivered to the reading room the same business day. Materials from Offsite-NU may take up to a week from the point the item was requested to be delivered to the hold shelf in the reading room. Materials from the Backlog may take up to three weeks from the point the item was requested to be delivered to the reading room hold shelf for you to pick up.

Ryerson & Burnham Libraries Search

Search the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries

Input a keyword into the box and click Search to begin searching the online library catalog.

Research Center Resources

Research Center Resources

Online catalogs and databases maintained by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries and Art Institute of Chicago Archives:

Make requests for materials that are not owned by the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries:

Find library information:

Digital Resources from the Art Institute of Chicago

Digital Resources from the Art Institute of Chicago

  • Ryerson & Burnham Art and Architecture Archives: Digital Collections
  • Finding Aids: Finding aids are inventories or indices that describe the contents and context of an archival collection and are the primary method of accessing information about any given group of records.
  • Images and Media: Catalog of electronic surrogates of selected original archival materials from the Ryerson & Burnham Archives collections. Materials may include photographs, slides, architectural drawings and prints, correspondence, and printed papers.
  • Oral Histories: Browse over 250 artists and architect oral histories.

A list of online guides and bibliographies developed by Ryerson & Burnham librarians to assist research on a variety of art historical and architectural topics, including provenance research, building history, appraisal and preservation resources, Chicago neighborhood research, and the history of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Digital collection catalogs available freely online. Catalogs offer detailed art historical context, provenance history, and scientific analysis of artworks in the Art Institute of Chicago's collections.

Contact Us

Ryerson & Burnham Libraries
readserv@artic.edu: for reference assistance, library orientation information, questions on interlibrary loan, and questions on library access and services. The following staff can also assist with these types of questions:

Aaron Rutt (x3-3936)

Jenn Smith (x7-7103)

circulation@artic.edu:  for questions on circulation, offsite materials, bulk returns, and scanning requests. The following staff can also assist with these types of questions: 

Abby Adams (x3-3667)

 

The Art Institute of Chicago Archives

For information on our collections, the history of the Art Institute and the School of the Art Institute, donation proposals, corrections, comments, and general questions, please contact Archives staff at archives@artic.edu.