The Mayer Library’s holdings reflect the strengths of the DMA’s collection: modern and contemporary art, 18th- and 19th-century European and American art, American decorative arts, African art, ancient art and the arts of the Americas, Oceania, Island Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
The Library’s collection contains more than 100,000 volumes, with approximately 1,200 titles added each year. Art periodicals, Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction catalogs, and online research tools are also available. The Library maintains files containing newspaper clippings on artists and local art institutions. The Library’s stacks are closed.
An appointment is recommended and can be made by email or phone. For more information, please call the Reference Desk at 214-922-1277 or email a librarian.
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Artist files: These include ephemera files containing clippings, press releases, exhibition notices, and small brochures. The Library is in the process of adding these files to the catalog. If you don't find an artist, contact us.
Auction records: The Mayer Library has subscriptions to several online auction results databases (on-site access only) and holds many print resources useful in researching auction records.
Auction catalogs: The Library holds a variety of current and past auction catalogs from Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Butterfield’s, and many other auction houses. These are not listed in the library catalog. A summary of the library's auction catalog holdings can be found here.
Periodicals: The Library subscribes to approximately one hundred art-related periodicals. Periodical titles are listed in the catalog.
Copy Services: Scanning to email, cloud storage, or USB drive is free of charge. Rare or fragile items may only be scanned at the librarian’s discretion. Black-and-white printouts are 25 cents per page after the first 20.