Online Catalogue
The online catalogue.
Use the online catalogue to search and locate material from our collections. The catalogue:
- searchable using any keywords, e.g. the name of an architect, a building, book title, author or subject
- search results can be printed or emailed
- provides details and locations of items in the collections
- publicly accessible 24 hours a day
- borrowers can renew books from the Loan Library (RIBA members only)
- updated regularly by Library staff
Some items may not appear in the catalogue; to see if material not listed in the catalogue is available, please contact the Library.
Guide to using the online catalogue
Guide to using the online catalogue
File size: 2,530 kB
Useful tips
It is essential to use the 'Go Back' and other icons on the catalogue's blue toolbar in order to navigate – not the navigation buttons on the web browser. The catalogue can viewed in all major browsers and mobile devices. Access to the catalogue is free and it is available 24 hours a day. If you are coming to see a specific item, contact the Library or the relevant collection team to check if it is available and, if necessary, for it to be reserved. If you have any questions go to FAQs, ask a member of staff or contact the Library.
Quick search
A quick search of the online catalogue is the simplest way to find out what is in the collections of the Library. Entering one keyword into the empty field in the 'Quick Search' box on the catalogue homepage is enough to begin a search. A keyword can be, for example, the name of an architect, a place, part of a title or an architectural term.
Specifying an option from the 'collection' drop-down menu (above the 'Advanced Search' link) will help to narrow down the results. To finish, press the 'Search' button to the right and a list of search results will be displayed automatically on a new webpage. If too many results are returned, narrow down the results using the advanced search mode instead.
Advanced search
Where searches need to be specific or more targeted, use the 'Advanced Search'. This part of the online catalogue has many more options not available elsewhere. A link to the advanced search mode can be found at the bottom of the 'Quick Search' box on the catalogue homepage.
Manipulating search options
There is no need to fill in every field, but the more information that is entered, the more accurate the search results will be. An advanced search can be manipulated in several ways:
by typing keywords into the different fields, such as an author or architect, which can be excluded or combined through the 'AND' drop-down menu on the right by specifying details about the items you are looking for, such as language or format in the drop-down menus at the bottom of the page.Once keywords have been entered and options chosen, the search of the catalogue can begin by pressing 'Search' to produce a set of search results relating to your chosen keywords and criteria.
Search results
Once a quick or advanced search has been made, the online catalogue will produce a list of items most closely related to your chosen keywords or criteria. The results are usually listed in order of publication date, with the most recent first. To the left of each item are two icons:
Details - to find out more about an item Select - to save and print information.
Details
Press the 'Details' icon and a new webpage will appear with a panel containing more information about the chosen item. This information is divided into two parts. The 'Catalogue Record' will be displayed first and will have descriptive information such as author, medium, date of production and full title, and should indicate if the item is relevant to your search. The second tab, 'Location in RIBA Library', will show where in the Library it is kept. There is a list explaining these locations and how to access the material.
Select
Use the 'Select' icon to save the information about the item for later. During your session, anything saved can be viewed together by pressing the 'Selected' button in the blue toolbar in the page header. This will take you to a new webpage where the results can also be emailed or printed.
Location of items
The catalogue will indicate where items are located. Photographs, books and journals are held at our headquarters (66 Portland Place) and accessed through the Library's Reading Room, while the drawings and archives are accessible through the RIBA Architecture Study Rooms (Victoria and Albert Museum). Staff at the Library's two sites will help to retrieve any items that are in closed stacks or stored offsite, subject to set collection times and opening hours.
Please note that until late spring 2014 all items with the locations 77 Portland Place, BASEMENT, BOX, Pamphlet or AV are available by advanced appointment only; SP-COLL items are by speical request; and there will be no access to HANDLEY-READ material.
Online catalogue: Locations
File size: 653 kB
Updating the catalogue
Staff at the Library regularly update the online catalogue and around 15,000 item records are added each year, including ones for recent acquisitions. The Architectural Publications Index (API) forms an integral part of the online catalogue, consisting at present of 480,000 index records to journal articles within the Library's collections. Indexing specialists at the Library add around 10,000 new records a year. For a list of journals currently indexed, go to journals indexed.
Reprographic services
Photocopying
A photocopying service is available for most of the books and journal articles held in the British Architectural Library. Search the holdings of the Library by using the online catalogue.
Self-service
Two black and white photocopiers and a colour scanner are available to the public in the Library's Reading Room at the RIBA (66 Portland Place). For environmental reasons printing from the scanner is not possible, but PDF files from any scanning session can be saved on to a memory stick. Users are welcome to bring their own memory stick or to purchase one from the enquiry desk. The photocopiers and scanner are operated using pre-paid and top-up photocopying cards which can be purchased from machines in the Reading Room.
Remote copies
Anyone unable to visit in person can request photocopies of articles from books and journals to be sent to them. Please use the photocopy order form and read the photocopy charges form below - RIBA members receive a discounted price. These are subject to the law of copyright and amending regulations.
For reasons of conservation, photocopying of fragile materials is not allowed; instead, a photography service for such items is available.
We are unable to meet photocopy orders on demand. Please allow up to seven working days for your request to be processed.
Photocopy charges
Photocopy order form
File size: 86kB
Photocopy charges
File size: 16kB
Credit card payment form
File size: 51kB
Photography services
For fragile items, archives, drawings and photographs a photography service is available to make copies of books and journals too fragile to be used in the photocopiers or scanner, these include the Early Imprints Collection of books printed before 1840. Photographic copies (including the making of slides) can also be made of most drawings, photographs or archive items in the collections by the Library's accredited photographer. For further details and prices please contact the Photographs Collection.
Some photographs and images of items from the collections have been digitised and these can be viewed and purchased via the Library's online image database RIBApix.
RIBApix
RIBApix covers world architecture of all periods together with related subjects such as interior design, landscape, topography, planning, construction and the decorative arts. Many of the images are also of social documentary importance.
All images on this site are the copyright of the Royal Institute of British Architects, but low resolution copies may be downloaded free of charge for personal use or teaching purposes.
Higher resolution files suitable for most types of publication or prints for private use may be ordered through this site. Our Terms and Conditions give more information on reproduction rights.
Access to RIBApix