A guide to some of what you’ll discover at the SVA Library’s east and west locations this fall.
The lounge area of SVA Library West, located at 133/141 West 21st Street.
There’s a chill in the air (finally), pumpkin spice is back and school is in session—that means that both locations of the SVA Library are once again open with expanded hours for community members to work on projects, meet with friends and discover our unique collections.
SVA Library, 380 Second Avenue
Stop by the SVA Library’s main location and browse its vibrant collections. This location is home to the majority of the library’s books—including manga, comics and graphic novels—magazines, DVDs and Blu-rays (and players), as well as the Picture Collection: over 300,000 images on 1,350 topics. The computer lab at this location is equipped with 41 iMacs, six Cintiqs, three flatbed scanners, two book scanners, black-and-white and color printing, and the latest versions of Adobe CC, Maya and Final Cut Pro.
SVA Library West, 133/141 West 21st Street
SVA Library West is an energetic place to meet with friends, catch a break between classes or work on a project. The large lounge has comfortable workspaces and is open late. Into gaming? This location has books on game design, theory and the art development of popular video games. You can also check out the games themselves—from board games to RPGs to video games—and play them in our game room with Xboxes, Playstations and Steam/PC gaming systems. (You can also borrow a Switch!)
SVA Library West also hosts events like video game tournaments, crafting sessions, dance workshops and film screenings. Are you interested in organizing an event? Let us know via our event form and we’ll work with you to make it happen.
SVA Library’s Online Collections
The library’s online collections are always open. To get started, check out the Online Resources and Services guide for streaming films, digital magazines, e-books and image databases.
The stacks at the SVA Library’s main location, at 380 Second Avenue.
This fall, the SVA Library has a few new additions to its online collections:
New magazine titles in Flipster, including:
ArtAsiaPacific
Ceramics: Art & Perception
Cuartoscuro
Diva
Metalsmith
New American Paintings
Room
Selvedge
Topos
New films in Kanopy, including:
The Adventure Never Ends: A Tabletop Saga (2023)
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
Black Panthers (1968)
Claydream (2021)
Design Is One: Designers Lella & Massimo Vignelli (2012)
Grey Gardens (1975)
Paris Is Burning (1990)
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Musician Arthur Russell (2008)
Watership Down (1978)
New databases, including:
Containing original essays, profiles and object analyses primarily authored by racialized and minoritized scholars and writers, the Fashion and Race and Database provides a roadmap for lasting change in the fashion system, offering lessons and resources to diversify how we understand fashion. Users will need to create a personal account with their SVA email address.
The A&AePortal platform features authoritative scholarship in the history of art, architecture, decorative arts, photography and design. It also provides invaluable content in related disciplines, such as African American studies, religious studies, women’s studies, environmental studies and visual culture. It contains 300 titles across 25 subject areas and 60,000 associated images. Notably, it includes a digital interactive edition of Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color (1963).
Both locations of the SVA Library are equipped with computers and other technology for working on projects.
The SVA Library maintains a large collection of art, design and other periodicals.
Both locations of the SVA Library offer ample space for meeting with friends and collaboration—and food is allowed!
The SVA Library collections are invaluable resources for research and inspiration.
Last but not least, some hot tips!
We asked SVA Library student worker Jimin Seong (BFA Advertising) what she thought every student should know about the libraries. Here are her tips:
1. If you need a book but don’t want to buy it, check the SVA Library’s catalog—chances are, it’s in the collection and available to borrow.
2. The SVA Library accepts donations of books you don’t need or want anymore—and hosts regular book sales. The next one is planned for the week of October 16.
3. Both locations of the SVA Library are great places to hang out—and food is allowed! The library also offers donuts and coffee on select days around finals.
4. All the rare books, pop-up books and artist books in the library’s locked cases can be accessed—just ask someone at the front desk to take them out for you.
5. The computer lab assistants can answer tech-related questions and troubleshoot any software and printer problems you may have.
Follow the SVA Library on Instagram and TikTok for collection highlights, event announcements and more—and library staff are always available during working hours by email or chat via the Ask a Librarian service.
SVA Library West offers video games, board games and RPGs, zines, comics and more.