The National Art Library and V&A Archives have just launched our brand-new enquiry system using the LibAnswers platform, which will allow users from near and far to access our services more efficiently than ever before.
Long term users may recall that we previously had an online enquiry management system and have recently been using emails instead. However, this platform gives us a whole host of new features, as well as offering a new location online to find out more in-depth information about the National Art Library, the V&A Archives, and the services we offer. Staff have been working hard to customise the platform for our specific needs and we hope users will agree that it is a great development!
With a few clicks you can now fill out our simple forms (NAL & Archives) with your enquiry and send it to us, from anywhere in the world at any time of the day. These forms allow general enquiries, copying requests, book suggestions, donation enquiries and appointments to see V&A Archive material at the NAL. The system is monitored from 9.00 – 17.00 GMT/BST, Monday to Friday, and we aim to answer all queries within 20 days, although responses are usually a lot quicker, especially for procedural enquiries.
National Art Library
We are happy to answer questions about the Library, our services and collections, and enquiries about art and design more generally. We will always try our very best to answer your question using the resources we have access to, but sometimes queries might be too wide ranging or complex for us to answer fully. In this case we’ll probably advise you to come to the Library yourself to look at our collections in closer detail, or give suggestions for further references to follow up. We may also redirect your enquiry to another person or department, but rest assured that your query will be dealt with.
A great feature on our new portal is the Frequently Asked Questions section. This section features common questions that we often receive both online and in person, and their answers, all sorted by topic and keywords. Do let us know if you think there is anything we’ve missed!
There have also been some updates to our copying service, which provides digital copies from our collections for individuals undertaking non-commercial research and private study, unable to visit us in person. Copies can be requested through the new portal (select ‘Copying Request’ under type of enquiry), and please see our webpage for pricing information. We hope the new charging structure will be more helpful and transparent for users.
V&A Archives
Similar to the Library pages, there is another LibAnswers portal specifically for the Archives department. Here you can contact the Archives team directly for any questions relating to their collections and make appointments to see materials in the National Art Library reading rooms. The Archives page also has a useful FAQ section for users.
So, update your bookmarks, get your thinking caps on for any burning questions you have about art and design, and get in touch with us today!
