Digital Collections

In addition to the numerous external digital resources that can be accessed through the Library Search, the Library also curates and collaborates with other departments to create digital collections which are unique to SAIC.

SAIC Digital Collections is an online institutional repository created and managed by the John M. Flaxman Library of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). The Digital Collections present curated selections of historic publications, archival materials, student theses, and artists’ works drawn from our library shelves or from other campus special collections. They are offered here for educational and research purposes.

Artstor includes a repository for digital images created by the Flaxman Library specifically for use in teaching and research at SAIC. This collection features hundreds of thousands of images including: contemporary art, design and architecture; the work of Roger Brown; School history; and much more. The SAIC shared image groups are accessible through Artstor (new Artstor on JSTOR coming Summer 2024), alongside millions of images in the main Artstor database. (Accessible only to SAIC faculty and students.)

Databases A-Z
Ryerson & Burnham Archives Digital Collections

Some materials in our collections may contain inappropriate, controversial, blatantly offensive, or racist language or imagery. They may represent outdated norms or values that are not consistent with the values of SAIC. However, we acknowledge these images and materials are part of our history. We include them not to recreate pain or offense but to interrogate history and understand the prevalence of bigotry and bias. We do not censor materials in our collections and retain harmful images/items when they hold historical value and allow us to engage in critical discourse and analysis.

Additionally, we are taking the following steps to highlight these issues and identify harmful items in our collections:

1. Updating old descriptions of collections
2. Identifying materials that contain offensive or harmful languages or images

If you encounter any insensitive or offensive language or content in SAIC’s Digital Collections or in other parts of the Library Special Collections, please contact us at flaxman@saic.edu. Please also contact us if you have any questions or suggestions about this statement. It is a work in progress, and we welcome feedback.