John M. Flaxman Library

 

The John M. Flaxman Library is located at the heart of the campus. We provide services and resources to encourage critical thinking and creative practices. We support teaching, learning, and research across the entire curriculum. Hundreds of thousands of books, magazines, movies, and sound recordings are available on interdisciplinary topics in late 20th and 21st century art and design, with several thousand new items added annually. A continuously growing number of scholarly resources are available online, including ebooks, ejournals, databases, digital images, and streaming videos. Popular Special Collections include: the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, the Randolph Street Gallery Archives and the 16mm Film Study Collection.

 

SAIC Digital Collections is available for researchers worldwide.

 

Mission

 

The mission of the John M. Flaxman Library is to advance student learning and enrich the research environment of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

 

We enact our mission by participating in and preserving the teaching, learning, and research of the SAIC community. The Library is fully engaged in campus activities. We collaborate as peers with students, faculty, and staff to further the scholarly and artistic achievements of all. We develop and sustain curiosity, skills, and professionalism as an essential component of an extraordinary community.

 

Our goals:

-Cultivate a friendly and engaging environment to encourage curiosity and creativity.

-Partner with academic colleagues to advance critical thinking and information literacy.

-Provide collections and services that embrace diversity, inclusion and equity to stimulate creativity while meeting the curricular needs of the SAIC community.

-Promote our resources and services through outreach, engagement and events with the School’s students, faculty, staff and affinity groups.

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Several students looking at books and other items in library

Visit the John M. Flaxman Library

Flaxman Library is open to SAIC students, faculty, staff, and alumni without an appointment. If you are not a member of the SAIC community, including I-Share members, email flaxman@saic.edu to visit the Main Collections or jfabc@saic.edu to visit the Library Special Collections (artists’ books and archives). Include the reason for your visit and your preferred dates and times. Info on hours, visiting, and borrowing.

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Contact Us

John M. Flaxman Library

37 S. Wabash Ave., 6th floor
Chicago, IL 60603

Phone: 312.899.5097

Flaxman Library (Sharp Building, 5th and 6th floors) fall & spring semesters

Monday–Thursday: 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Friday: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sunday: Closed

Library Special Collections (Sharp Building, room 503) fall & spring semesters

Monday–Thursday: 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Friday: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (scheduled class visits only); Sunday: Closed

Hours outside of fall & spring semesters

Please see the Hours, Visiting & Borrowing page for hours outside of regular semesters