CCS BARD

The CCS Bard Library is one of the foremost contemporary art research collections in the United States focusing on post-1960s contemporary art, curatorial practice, exhibition histories, theory and criticism. The Library’s main collection houses extensive holdings of international exhibition publications and artists’ monographs supporting the in-depth study of artists represented in the permanent collection. Special Collections includes important holdings of historic and out-of-print artist produced periodicals, limited edition, rare and signed exhibition catalogues and contemporary art publications, as well as an extensive collection of artists’ books. Through donation and purchase, the Library is comprehensively collecting the full publication history of select international exhibition venues, art publishers, and small presses.

Summer 2025 Updates

With the current architectural expansion of the CCS Bard Library & Archives and the construction of the new Keith Haring Wing, the library & archives will be open this summer, but there will be limited seating, and there may be noise associated with the construction. For more information about the expansion, please read the press release for the project.

The CCS Bard Archives contain the institutional archives for the Center for Curatorial Studies and the Hessel Museum of Art as well as the organizational archives of select galleries, artist-run spaces and initiatives, and the personal papers of curators and artists. The Archives also maintains a collection of artist files for the artists represented in the Hessel Museum collection, and Study Collections that document a range of international curators, and historic exhibitions.

The Library and Archives are open to the Bard community as well as outside scholars and researchers specializing in the contemporary arts. Appointments are necessary to consult materials in Special Collections and the Archives. For more information or to schedule a research appointment, please contact us.