About

Using The Library

Access to Library Holdings

The library's collection is non-circulating and for onsite reference use only. Materials may not be checked out of the building and there is no Inter-Library Loan. Online resources may be found here.

For the most part, items in the book, periodical and general script collections are available upon request in the library, as are the clipping files and photographs in the general collection. Exceptions are noted in the catalog. Other types of materials, including those in special manuscript and photographic collections and graphic arts collections, are available to qualified researchers by prior appointment only – for details, see Access to Graphic Arts, Access to Special Collections and Access to Photographs.

What to Bring

Only items essential to your research may be brought into the reading room: paper, notepad, a notebook (without pockets), index cards, and laptop computers. Patrons are asked to use pencils only; researchers may bring their own or use the ones provided by the library. Small wallets (to pay for photocopying) are also permitted. Cell phones are allowed, but must be on silent. No photographs may be taken with cell phones and phone calls must be taken outside.

What Not to Bring

The following items cannot be brought into the reading room:

• Scanners
• Cameras
• Purses, briefcases, backpacks, computer cases, belt packs
• Organizers and notebooks with pockets
• Pens
• Envelopes
• Multiple folders or boxes of material
• Magazines or newspapers
• Coats and umbrellas
• Food, chewing gum, or beverages
• Any other materials deemed inappropriate by library staff.

The Margaret Herrick Library is a specialized research library devoted to motion pictures. The reference staff is available to answer questions about the library and its collections, and to assist individuals conducting motion picture-related research. Please be aware that materials in the library do not circulate.

In Person

The Margaret Herrick Library is open to the public by appointment only. Anyone seeking information on motion pictures is welcome to visit the library and undertake their own research. A member of the library staff is always available to offer assistance at the Reference desk. Please review the library rules, hours, and safety policies before you request an appointment.

By E-mail 

The Margaret Herrick Library E-mail Reference allows patrons to submit brief factual questions directly to reference librarians who provide responses. The service includes general film history questions, referrals, and ready reference queries for the library’s holdings. Please note that responses to e-mail questions may take up to five business days. If you would like to submit an e-mail query, please click on the link below:

EMAIL reference form

RESEARCH AND DUPLICATION SERVICES (RDS)

For more extensive research questions and remote access to materials, the library offers the fee-based Research and Duplication Services (RDS) for patrons unable to visit the library in-person. This service provides research assistance, scans, and photographic reproductions of library materials. Requests can be made by email, or regular mail. For more information, visit the Research and Duplication Services page.

For Exhibition Loans

Exhibition Loan Form

Library collection policy

The Margaret Herrick Library Collection Policy is a statement of the principles and guidelines used by the Margaret Herrick Library staff in its selection, acquisition, and evaluation of Library materials.

MHL Collection Policy

Exhibition Loan policy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences lends materials from its collections to recognized institutions, such as museums and libraries, provided they have established exhibition programs and a professional staff qualified to handle the materials requested.  

Exhibition Loan Policy

Library Preservation Policy 

This preservation policy is a statement of the principles and guidelines used by the Margaret Herrick Library staff in its conservation and stewardship of Library materials. It provides consistency in communicating the Library’s policies to Academy staff and the public.  

COMPLETE library preservation POLICY

The Academy has the following policies in place to keep you and our staff safe:

Face Masks: All visitors ages 2 and up are also strongly encouraged to wear a face mask in the Academy's indoor spaces.

Symptom Check: Visitors are required to self-certify they are free of COVID-19 symptoms before entering the building. Please do not visit the Academy if you’re feeling sick or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (such as cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, or any other symptoms), or if you have had contact with anyone confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19. Please note that visitors displaying COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed to enter.

The Margaret Herrick Library is a world-renowned, non-circulating reference and research collection devoted to the history and development of the motion picture as an art form and as an industry. Established in 1928, a year after the Academy was founded, the library moved to its current Beverly Hills location in 1991.

Margaret Herrick was the Academy librarian from 1936 to 1943, and served as the Academy’s executive director from 1945 to 1971. It was Herrick who laid the foundation for what is now considered to be one of the world’s finest film-related libraries. And it was Herrick who expanded the Academy’s activities into several key non-Awards areas, negotiated the Academy’s first television broadcast and oversaw the transformation of the annual Oscar ceremony into a major televised event.

Margaret Herrick was born Margaret Buck in Spokane, Washington. She earned a library degree from the University of Washington, and in 1929 became head librarian of the Yakima Public Library. Miss Buck married Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary of the Academy, and in 1931 she moved to Hollywood to join her husband. Mrs. Gledhill soon offered her services to the Academy as its volunteer librarian, and was well on the way to building the Academy’s library when Donald Gledhill was named executive secretary in 1933. Throughout the 1930s, Mrs. Gledhill continued to develop and improve the library and its holdings. Her position as the Academy’s librarian was formalized in 1936.

In 1943, Margaret Gledhill successfully assumed her husband’s duties when he left for military service in World War II. The couple divorced in 1945, and soon after, the Academy Board of Governors offered Mrs. Gledhill the executive position on a permanent basis. In 1946, Mrs. Gledhill married Philip A. Herrick. They divorced in 1951, but she continued to use his name professionally.

Following her retirement in 1971, the Academy library was renamed in her honor. Margaret Herrick died on June 20, 1976.