Library & Archives
The Main Library at National Museum Cardiff is closed for essential maintenance works until April 2020.
During this time we are unable to accommodate members of the public wishing to come in and use the library resources. However, we welcome phone or e-mail enquiries. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Welcome to the Library of Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales
We support the work of the Museum's curatorial staff, but we also provide access to external researchers by appointment.
The contents of our Library reflect the diverse nature of Amgueddfa Cymru's collections, covering subjects such as:
- Archaeology
- Fine and Applied Art
- Industrial and Social History
- The Natural Sciences
- Museum Studies
Following the foundation of the National Museum of Wales, the first Librarian was appointed in 1914, three years after construction work on the Museum began.
The initial collection of the Library moved in the 1920s into a purpose-built library, but material pertinent to the individual departments later moved out to form a number of departmental libraries.
The original room is now used as the Main or General Library, housed in National Museum Cardiff.
Besides the general reference material and the museology collection, the Main Library holds all the pre-1701 books in the Library, together with a number of other special collections such as the Willoughby Gardner collection of early natural history books.
The Museum sites with libraries accessible for research by appointment are:
- National Museum Cardiff
- St Fagans National Museum of History
- National Slate Museum
- National Roman Legion Museum
- National Wool Museum
- National Waterfront Museum
- The National Collections Centre in Nantgarw.
The Main Library staff consists of three full-time and two part-time members, and there is also a member of staff based in St Fagans.