Irving Shapiro Library

The Irving Shapiro Library of the American Academy of Art, named for Irving Shapiro, Watercolor Painting instructor at the Academy from 1945-1994, and distinguished fine artist, is a dynamic resource center committed to the support of course curriculum and lifelong learning. The facility offers traditional print resources as well as an extensive electronic learning environment. The library provides an environment where students can read, study, research, and explore information about the art world.

Our librarian oversees a series of academic and student development workshops throughout the school year. Workshops are developed to complement course requirements, focus on current research issues and trends in the art world, and encourage the development of self-reliance and intellectual independence. Workshop topics include information literacy, correct citation format, trademark law, and online research techniques. The librarian also provides individualized reference help and research advising.

The Academy has a focused collection development policy, dedicated to providing educational support for the school’s studio art and academic courses. The library’s print collection of fine art, commercial art and liberal arts materials includes more than 1,750 fully cataloged books and more than forty scholarly and popular periodicals. The library’s virtual collection includes subscriptions to FirstSearch and HighBeam proprietary databases, accessible on and off campus, which give the students a constantly updated resource of thousands of full-text scholarly journal articles, newswires and newspaper articles through sixteen databases.

The constantly evolving art world and changing art technology demand current information for learning and research. Our library continues to expand its services to provide a greater range of resources to our students. Many resources are now accessible through our Online Library page.