The Fine Arts & Design Library offers a bright and creative environment to study and work on individual or group projects. Featuring open seating in the lobby and throughout the first and second floors, students and scholars have access to a variety of spaces for collaborative and quiet study, including group study tables and individual study carrels. Patio seating is also available just outside the entrance to take your studies outdoors on nice days.
Seven study rooms are available for reservation on the Second Floor, most of which feature a large oval table, chairs, a whiteboard, and seating for six to 14.
Tech resources include:
Help finding materials, using equipment, and accessing spaces within the Fine Arts & Design Library can be found at the Reference Desk located just inside the entrance.
Find open seating or reserve a study room at the Fine Arts & Design Library.
The Fine Arts Media Center holds the Fine Arts & Design Library’s collection of video and sound recordings as well as a Listening Center to play the recordings.
The audio collection contains western art music, jazz, folk, and international music that supports the School of Music curriculum. The Media Center is also the only place where the physical recordings of School of Music faculty and student recitals and ensembles are archived and accessible. The video collection includes opera, musical theatre, and several areas of visual art. Most items in the collection circulate to faculty, staff, and graduate students for three days.
The Listening Center is comprised of six listening/viewing carrels. All carrels have a 3.5mm jack for listening, and headphones are available if you do not own that size. The Listening Center has:
Access the Fine Arts & Design Library’s collection of video and sound recordings at the Little Fine Arts Media Center.
The Niles Reading Room is used by scholars who are exploring the collections of the Niles Center and other special collections in the Fine Arts & Design Library. It is also used for meetings and student conferences.
The Reading Room is decorated with paintings and portraits from the Niles Collection as well as tables that once furnished Boot Hill Farm, the Home of John Jacob Niles. One of the tables is decorated with the titles of some of the traditional ballads that Niles collected in Kentucky, carved by Niles in his distinctive hand. The reading room also houses a Steinway baby grand that belonged to the Niles family.
For more information about John Jacob Niles, visit the School of Music's John Jacob Niles Gallery page.
Explore the collections of the Niles Center and other special collections in the Fine Arts & Design Library in the Niles Reading Room.
Located off the lobby of the Fine Arts & Design Library, the Gallery provides an intimate space for lectures, readings, recitals, and other small events. Capacity: 48
Primarily for UK Libraries instruction. Flexible table and chairs setup with large TV screen and wireless connection to a dedicated computer, accessed via linkblue. Requests must be made at least eight hours in advance. Capacity: 32
For School of Music classes and affiliated graduate groups only. Boardroom-style set-up. Includes a piano and a multimedia system to play LPs, cassette tapes, and CDs. Capacity: 14
