Using the Library: Home

Opening Hours

09.30 to 20.30 Monday to Thursday

9.30 to 19.00 every Friday.

Outside of term time, the library is open from 09.30 to 16.30.  

Who was Edward Murphy?

Eddie was the librarian of the NCAD Library for 35 years until he retired in 2013. The library that we have today would not exist without his years of work - when he took up the job in the late 1970s, there were just 600 books. By the time he retired, there were over 100,000 books & counting, many of them not available anywhere else in the country. He was well known around campus as he would often stroll around the library asking what books people were enjoying & recommending other titles. He was also known for his fluorescent shirts & psychedelic ties. When Eddie passed away in 2014, NCAD decided to honour his years of work by naming the library after him. 

The illustration below that we use as our profile picture on social media is in honour of Eddie.

Introduction to the NCAD Library

Welcome to the 'Guide to the NCAD Library'. During your time at NCAD you will get familiar with all the library services available to you as a student. Both online and on campus. This Guide helps to make that process a bit easier.

About the Library

The Edward Murphy Library houses an unrivaled collection of almost 100,000 books, pamphlets, video material, periodicals, and exhibition catalogues on a wide variety of topics. Although the collection is chiefly on open access, a large portion of the collection is kept in storage and must be ordered in advance - check the Library catalogue for full information about our holdings. Closed access special collections of rare and valuable materials relating to Irish art and design are housed in the National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL).

The Library subscribes to over 150 periodicals which offer an international view of the subjects taught at the College. Comprehensive back issues of these titles are also available in hard copy and the Library’s online databases provide access to additional digital publications. Users have access to a range of high-quality images through the Visual Resources Centre and its databases, along with a large collection of DVDs, Blu-rays, and CDs.

An important part of the Library service is the Learning Centre. Introductory tours of the Library are given to all new students. In-depth tutorials on research methods are provided for students who are commencing major projects and theses. 

The first port of call for all users requiring assistance should be the Issue Desk. Most of the staff working there have experience of studying and working in the field of art and design, and are happy to help with any search or reference queries you might have.

How to Login to Your Library Account