A user account is required to borrow items. Members of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, pupils, students, journalists, ICOM members and holders of a KulturLegi card can register free of charge at the circulation desk. People who do not belong to any of these groups cannot borrow documents, but they can use the library’s holdings in the reading room.

Ordering items

All items except the reference collection in the reading room (see below) are in the depot and must be ordered via the online catalog or on site at the circulation desk. Orders are processed during opening hours until 5:45 p.m. and the requested items are made available within 15 minutes.

Loan periods

Items may be borrowed for 30 days; if there is no reservation, this period is automatically extended by 60 days after expiry. After the first extension, a loan can be recalled at any time and must then be returned within 10 days.

Returns

Please return borrowed items directly at the circulation desk during opening hours.

Outside the library’s opening hours, loans can be returned to the museum store (Moserbau, Heimplatz 1). These returned items will be processed on the library’s next working day.

Please note that borrowed items cannot be returned to other libraries.

In the reading room, you will find a reference collection on art history and related fields, current issues of journals, exhibition catalogues and new acquisitions. These items are available to all users on site. The reading room is equipped with computers for online research, power sockets and Wi-Fi. It is open to the public during opening hours.

Parts of the library and archive holdings are digitized and published on the platform Digitized Special Collections. Existing digitized items can also be accessed directly via the OPAC: if an electronic version of a title is available, a 'W' icon will be displayed next to the relevant entry in the search results; you will then find the link to the digitized item in the 'Electronic address and access' field in the catalog entry.

A separate search function is available for the special collection on Dadaism, which has been almost completely digitized. For research on the topic of Dada, please also see DadaDig (project page from 2016).

If you are only interested in electronic access, we recommend that you start via the Digitized Special Collections. If you are also interested in physical documents, it is best to start your research in the OPAC. We will be happy to assist you with your research (see above for contact details).

In addition, the exhibition chronology on the Digilab platform is available for researching exhibitions and exhibition catalogs of the Kunsthaus. Existing physical copies and electronic versions of exhibition catalogs are linked in the entry for the respective exhibition.

The holdings of the Kunsthaus Library can be searched not only via the OPAC but also via WorldCat and its sub-catalog ArtDiscovery Group Catalogue (a network of major art libraries in Europe and North America).

All journals are indexed in the online catalog (OPAC). Availability is shown under the item information. Volumes of older journals can be borrowed; the issues of the current year can be used in the reading room.

Current journal subscriptions can be recognized by the shopping cart symbol.

Passive ILL loans (for registered users)

Interlibrary loans are only available for titles relating to art history. The Kunsthaus library will lend books from other libraries to you and will supply copies of articles from journals. Loan periods and restrictions on use will be as stipulated by the library that holds the items.

Ordering

If you cannot find a title either in the Kunsthaus library or in another library in Zurich (please check swisscovery first), use our form for interlibrary loans.

Delivery periods

Orders from Swiss libraries are normally delivered within two weeks. The delivery period will depend on the location of the supplying library.

Active ILL loans (for libraries)

The Kunsthaus library lends out media and makes copies as part of national or international interlibrary loans. Interlibrary loan orders are normally dispatched within one working day. The International Standard Identifier for Libraries and Related Organizations (ISIL) for the Kunsthaus Zürich library is CH-000273-5.

We offer guided tours of the library for groups who want to learn more about the library’s work, history and collection. Special introductions to using the library tailored to the specific needs of a group can also be arranged.

Research training

There are many ways of searching for literature, pictures and facts related to modern art. In our training sessions you’ll learn how to use the relevant sources from printed publications and online services.

For registrations and further information, please contact us (see above for contact details).

Self-Service scanning and copying

• Scans: Free
• Printouts and Photocopies: CHF 0.20 per page (black and white), CHF 1 per page (colour)

Scanning and copying by library staff

• Private individuals and members of non-commercial institutions: CHF 5 for the first 20 pages, then CHF 0.50 per page
• Commercial users: CHF 25 for the first 20 pages, then CHF 0.50 per page
• Postal delivery of physical copies/printouts: CHF 2.50
• High-resolution photo reproductions available on request

Reminders and overdue notices

1st Reminder (recall): Free of charge
2nd Reminder: CHF 10 per borrowed item
3rd Reminder: Additional CHF 25 (total CHF 35) per borrowed item
Notice of Return: Additional CHF 50 (total CHF 85) per borrowed item and account suspension

Replacement fees

• Damaged or lost items: CHF 15 per item plus reimbursement of replacement costs; if the item is no longer available, the replacement value will be determined based on antiquarian book trade listings
• Loss of library card: CHF 10

Librarian and archival research by specialized staff

• Private individuals and members of non-commercial institutions: Free for up to 60 minutes, then CHF 100 per hour
• Commercial users: CHF 100 per hour