The library of the HFBK is a combined reference and lending library. The reading room is open to all during the stated opening hours; however, only members of the HFBK are allowed to borrow books.

Subjects especially well represented in the collection are: 20th century art, with an emphasis on the present day, specifically on monographs on the work of international artists and designers. In the area of theory, publications that create connections between theoretical knowledge and practical artistic work or demonstrate interdisciplinary interactions are best represented.