About the Collection
The library of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum serves as a central resource for research on the Holocaust and genocide studies.
Its holdings include books, dissertations, journals, maps, and audiovisual materials that support academic and curatorial work across the museum.
The collection also features a small number of artists’ books that explore memory, survival, and the role of art in commemorating tragedy.
Among the most notable are two sculptural works by Tana Kellner — 71125, Fifty Years of Silence: Eva Kellner’s Story and
B 11226: Fifty Years of Silence: Eugene Kellner’s Story — both reflecting on loss, remembrance, and personal testimony.
Finding Artists’ Books
Artists’ books can be located through the museum’s online catalog.
Use the search box and type “artists’ books” with quotation marks, then select “Subject” from the drop-down menu before searching.
This will generate a list of all materials designated as artists’ books within the collection.
Results include works from both open stacks and special collections.
How to Visit
Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, Washington, DC 20024
To reach the museum by Metro, take the Blue or Orange line to Smithsonian Station. Exit at 12th Street and Independence Avenue,
then walk west to 14th Street. After crossing, turn left; the museum is the second building on your right after the USDA building.
Research Access
The library is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except on federal holidays and Yom Kippur.
Visitors can access the reading room on the fifth floor without a prior appointment.
Materials in open stacks can be retrieved directly, while those in Special Collections require staff assistance.
Researchers planning to consult rare or restricted materials should contact reference staff in advance using the museum’s research inquiry form.
Before your visit, review the reading room policies and plan accordingly.
Lockers are available for personal belongings, and designated tables are provided for viewing rare books and special materials.
Location Map
Why Visit
Visiting the library offers a meaningful opportunity to engage with materials that document history through scholarship and artistic expression.
The combination of academic resources and creative works provides insight into how memory, trauma, and resilience are preserved through art and text.
Whether you are a student, researcher, or artist, this collection invites reflection on the enduring power of remembrance.