Direct access to archival material is provided in the IAA’s Reading Room.

Access to the Reading Room is free and open to all.

The Reading Room is open to the public from 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.

On Mondays, the Reading Room is open by appointment only. Please email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040 to make a booking.

A member of staff is always present in the Reading Room to assist readers and provide direction in identifying relevant material. Staff are also available to provide visual descriptions (for blind or low vision readers) for any material, on request.

If you have any questions about accessibility, or require any accommodations to support your visit, please email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040.

Using the Reading Room

Direct access to archival material is provided in the IAA’s Reading Room.

Access to the Reading Room is free and open to all.

The Reading Room is open to the public from 10am to 5pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.

On Mondays, the Reading Room is open by appointment only. Please email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040 to make a booking.

A member of staff is always present in the Reading Room to assist readers and provide direction in identifying relevant material. Staff are also available to provide visual descriptions (for blind or low vision readers) for any material, on request.

If you have any questions about accessibility, or require any accommodations to support your visit, please email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040.

Registering as a Reader

To use the Reading Room, you need to register with the IAA as a reader. You can do this online using the online registration form or in-person after you have come to the Reading Room. Information provided during registration will only be used by the IAA for the management of access to the Reading Room and collections. It will not be used for any other purpose and will not be shared with anyone else.

To register as a reader you must be 18 years old or older. Younger researchers may use the Reading Room but must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, teacher or primary carer.

If you have registered previously but have forgotten your reader number, contact us by email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040 and we will let you know your reader number.

IAA reader’s tickets are non-transferable and are not forms of identification. The possession of a reader’s ticket does not entitle the bearer to entry to the IAA.

Group visits

The IAA is happy to accommodate group visits, but visits by groups of five or more should be booked at least two days in advance. Bookings can be made by emailing info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phoning +353 1 663 3040.

Coats, bags and phones

Coats and bags should not be brought into the Reading Room. They should be left in the lockers provided in the basement cloakroom. You need a €1 coin to use the lockers. This is refunded.

Set mobile phones to silent and leave the Reading Room to make or take calls.

Finding material

Use the IAA Catalogue to identify material in the IAA that may be relevant to your area of interest or research. A guide to using the catalogue can be found here. The Dictionary of Irish Architects may also guide you to material held by the IAA.

The Catalogue is a work in progress and does not list everything in the IAA. If you are having difficulty locating material, email info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie or phone +353 1 663 3040 and let us know what you are looking for.

A member of staff is always present in the Reading Room to assist readers and provide direction in identifying relevant material.

Accessing material

Some of the reference library books and periodicals, and the public access photographs, are available for consultation on shelves in the Reading Room. You can browse the shelves to find what you are looking for, or ask the staff member on duty for help locating items.

To view reserved material – books, pamphlets, periodicals, press cuttings, drawings and documents not held in the Reading Room – you need to complete a call slip. These are available from the Reading Room desk. If you are having any difficulties completing a call slip, ask the member of staff on duty for assistance.

Because of where reserved material is held, there will be a delay before these items can be brought to the Reading Room. In the case of drawings, documents and some other categories of material, items requested before 1 pm will be available at 2.30 pm. Material requested after 1 pm and before 5 pm will be available at 10 am the following morning.

Material may be requested by sending an email to info@irisharchitecturalarchive.ie. Let us know what items you want, and the time and date you’d like to see them, but please note that for emails received after 5 pm, items will available at 2.30 pm the following day.

Using material

Archival documents are precious. They are irreplaceable, and so must be handled carefully and treated with respect. Restrictions on accessing and using material may have to be imposed at short notice on conservation grounds.

Handle archival material with care. Do not lean on maps, plans, drawings or documents, and be extra careful unrolling rolled items. Do not place archival material on the floor.

Only pencils may be use for taking notes. These are available at the Reading Room desk. Do not bring into the Reading Room pens, glue, ink, correction fluid, scissors, or any other substance or equipment which could damage archives.

Food and drink are not allowed in the Reading Room, and chewing gum is prohibited.

Copying material

For a fee, readers may use their own devices to copy material held by the IAA. Please check with the Reading Room staff before copying anything.

Much of the material held by the IAA is still in copyright so normal copyright restrictions apply.

Flash photography is not allowed, nor is the use of camera stands or tripods. Items being copied must remain on the Reading Room tables.

The copying fee is €1 per item copied. An item is defined as:

1 drawing

1 photograph

1 mss file or bound volume

1 press cuttings file

1 pamphlet

1 journal article

20% or less of a book.

Hi-resolution digital copies of material held by the IAA can also be ordered. Supply charges start at €25 per item. Check with the Reading Room staff for costs. Orders for scans can take up to two weeks to process.

Reading Room Regulations

The full set of Reading Room Regulations is available here.

Menu

Using the Reading Room

Registering as a Reader

Group visits

Coats, bags and phones

Finding material

Accessing material

Using material

Copying material

Reading Room Regulations

Donate

Large or small, every donation helps secure the future of the collection. We are truly grateful for your support.

Donate

Large or small, every donation helps secure the future of the collection. We are truly grateful for your support.

Menu

Using the Reading Room

Registering as a Reader

Group visits

Coats, bags and phones

Finding material

Accessing material

Using material

Copying material

Reading Room Regulations

Donate

Large or small, every donation helps secure the future of the collection. We are truly grateful for your support.

Donate

Large or small, every donation helps secure the future of the collection. We are truly grateful for your support.

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