What can you find in the Engl library?
The Museum library collects and provides access to a range of materials. Much of the collection is directly associated with Georgia O’Keeffe: her life and art, people she knew and who knew her, places she lived, painted, and visited, and subjects that influenced her. The library also shares resources related to modern art and items that support specific topics connected to Museum programs, such as exhibitions, fellowships, and education opportunities for the public and staff development. The format of materials varies and items are part of different library collections based on their unique characteristics.
The bulk of the books in the library are part of the general collection and are stored in compact mobile shelving in the library reading room. Internal patrons (Museum staff, interns, volunteers, fellows, and board of trustees) can browse and check-out these titles Monday - Friday, 8am - 6pm without an appointment.
Key titles relating to O’Keeffe that are used more frequently, such as Georgia O’Keeffe: Catalogue Raisonne, are available in reference shelves near the library office and do not circulate.
Special collection items have qualities that make them more unique than the circulating collection and cannot be removed from the library. Items may be rare, have a higher value, or have condition issues that require special storage and/or handling. Artists' books and O'Keeffe's personal library collection are part of special collections. Most items are stored in the library in locked drawers and shelving units with glass doors so the collection can be viewed, and can be accessed during scheduled research appointments.
The vertical files are a valuable resource for researchers and contain ephemera such as newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, exhibition brochures, reviews, gallery and event invitations, and reproductions primarily connected to O’Keeffe. Broader subjects related to art are also covered. The criticism files are a subset of the vertical files comprised of articles about O'Keeffe, which provide in-depth information about her artistic practice.
Other useful material available for check-out includes laptops and audiovisual equipment like cameras and tripods. The Museum also participates in the Share the Experience Pass (S.T.E.P), which is a program designed to connect Santa Feans to the art and cultural sites around the city. The pass gives Santa Feans free admission to four cultural institutions in Santa Fe: The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, The Santa Fe Botanical Garden and the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. Just like a library book, the pass is available to check-out.
Most of the previously mentioned materials can be found in the Museum library reading room, which is located in the Otero-Bergere House; however, collections are also stored in the Museum galleries, Welcome Center lobby in Abiquiu, and around the Museum campus for easier staff access. You can search across all collections and locations to find the materials you need in the library catalog. Learn more about borrowing from the library and sign up for an account today!
O’Keeffe also appreciated traditional Japanese haiku and Chinese poetry. Several of her friends and caretakers mentioned reading haiku poems to her, sometimes in the landscape or while under the stars camping. Merrill writes in her book, 
Have a question about Georgia O'Keeffe, the library and collections, or how we might help you? Please contact us or chat with us online!