Collections
The HFBK library has a collection of around 40,000 volumes and approximately 30 journal subscriptions. The collection focuses on 20th and 21st century art, with an emphasis on monographs by international artists and thematic exhibition catalogs. In the field of art theory, art history, and cultural studies, in addition to standard works, the collection primarily includes publications that examine artistic and creative works in the context of current topics from an art and cultural studies perspective and critically question their social and diversity policy frameworks.
Two collections are particularly noteworthy:
Firstly, the library receives publications from other German art colleges through a literature exchange program, which are also cataloged alongside the college’s own publications. The oldest collection, an extensive collection of teaching materials comprising around 350 folders of sample sheets used for teaching in the 19th and 20th centuries, refers to the history of the University of Fine Arts as a school of arts and crafts. They deal with and illustrate artistic, cultural, geographical, and scientific topics. The elaborate manufacturing processes used to produce the folders are remarkable, giving them their own artistic value. A selection of the template folders has been digitized with the support of the Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library in Hamburg.