The Museum of Performance & Design Performing Arts Library is dedicated to collecting, preserving and making available to the public materials documenting a broad spectrum of the live performing arts and theatrical design.

The more than three million items in our Archives, Reference Collection, Special Collections, and Theatrical Design Collection include books, periodicals, playbills, clippings, photographs, posters, sheet music, plays and libretti, radio interviews, videotapes, musical theater recordings, oral histories, theatrical design research materials, costume and set designs, personal papers of performers and patrons, on-line image archives, as well as the archives of several local organizations.

An ON LINE CATALOG contains a portion of the materials available at the Museum of Performance & Design Performing Arts Library. For access to the complete collection, please arrange a visit to our facility.

The Library is open to anyone free of charge but appointments are strongly recommended as we can not guarantee access or the availability of materials you wish to use without prior arrangement.  Non-members are asked to make a $10 per visit donation to help defray expenses. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

To make an appointment, please call 415-255-4800 extension *818 during open hours or email reference@mpdsf.org

For the research policies and procedures, please CLICK HERE.