The Museum library's rich and diverse collection contains more than 20,000 monographs and 800 serials. Additional materials include rare books, archives, and manuscript collections. The library serves staff specialists and other researchers by acquiring and preserving materials that support the Museum's mission.

The Museum library is a research facility. The collection is non-circulating to the public but may be used on-site with an appointment. The Museum is a member of the statewide ILLINET library network and the Illinois Heartland Library System, and participates in interlibrary lending through OCLC. The library’s holdings are available in the IHLS/SHARE Catalog,

Hours
Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday through Friday (except on state holidays) by appointment only.
Telephone: (217) 524-0496
Email: Tracy.Pierceall@illinois.gov

Location
The Illinois State Museum library is housed at the Illinois State Museum, Research and Collections Center, and the Dickson Mounds Museum.

Library Resources Online
The Illinois State Museum Library provides several methods for searching the library holdings and Museum publications. Some are hosted on the ISM site, and others are hosted by other institutions.

The Living Museum Online
The Living Museum Online, a searchable database of The Living Museum publication, is available here. This electronic resource does not replace the print version of The Living Museum but makes it additionally accessible online.  The Living Museum Online project is part of the Illinois Digital Archives (IDA) and is hosted by the Illinois State Library.

ISM Library Online Catalog
The Museum Library is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library system and a member of SHARE.

Policies for Use and Interlibrary Loan
The Museum library is a research facility. The collection is non-circulating to the public but may be used on site with an appointment by calling (217) 524-0496. The Museum participates in interlibrary loan as a member of OCLC. Requests for periodical photocopies or interlibrary loans should be made through  OCLC or ALA request forms.