Collections
Library Catalog
Established in 1938, the library collection is housed in the Docent Study Center, Hoover, Hyman, and Toor libraries.
The library collection strengths reflect those of the museum's art collection: 19th, 20th, and 21st-century art with an emphasis on contemporary California art, classic Western American art, Native American art, Mexican art, European modern sculpture, contemporary glass studio art, prints and printmaking, American photography, American mid-20th-century architecture and design, and the history of the desert region during the 20th century.
The library has over 11,000 books, 2,500 artist files, art periodicals, clipping files, auction house catalogues, and reference resources.
The library also manages the institutional archives of the museum including historical photographs, internal publications, exhibition catalogs, memorabilia, and off-site storage of museum records.
The Lorraine Boccardo Archive Study Center Room includes special collection and archival holdings for a number of well-known Southern California practitioners.
These include Albert Frey, Harold C. Broderick / Arthur Elrod Associates, Inc., Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams, Hugh M. Kaptur, Patrick McGrew, Louis Shoall Miller, Stephen Willard, Harold "Buzz" Waltz, Val Powelson, William F. Cody, and many others.
Special Collection materials include architectural drawings, renderings, photographs, negatives, slides, models, correspondence, scrapbooks, clippings, postcards, and other unique materials.
PSAM on the Online Archive of California:
Find information about our archival collections.
VIEW OUR COLLECTION FINDING AIDS
Due to limited staffing, we are currently restricting access to the museum’s library and archive collections. We hope to reopen soon and provide access to these significant resources.
