The Anthropology Library, located within the Centre for Anthropology at the British Museum, incorporates the original Library of the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) and the Museum’s Ethnography Library, and is effectively Britain’s national anthropology library. The RAI contributes substantially to Library acquisitions and staffing. International exchange arrangements are also in place with scholarly institutions, under which the Library receives publications in exchange for RAI journals.

The Library is open to the public for reference and research. RAI Fellows have the special privilege of borrowing books and journals donated by the RAI (about 60% of total holdings). Both the RAI and the Museum’s Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas host seminars and other events in the Centre. The Department’s Collections Enquiries service is also located within the Centre.

For more information visit https://www.therai.org.uk/anthropology-library