The vast majority of the Collection is available for use without an appointment during normal Library opening hours. The exceptions are Tuesday and Thursday evenings (17.00-19.00) and Saturday mornings (10.00-13.30), when material must be ordered in advance. A proportion of the Collection is held off-site, in particular the majority of the RIBA's own archive, and it is necessary to make an appointment to see this material. Uncatalogued collections are not normally available for use.

It is advisable to contact the Archivist to ensure that the Archive does hold material relevant to your enquiry and that it is readily accessible.

The Manuscripts & Archives Collection and the Drawings Collection will be moving to the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, in 2004. They will remain part of the RIBA and catalogue records will continue to be part of the Library database, available via the RIBA Website.

The Manuscripts & Archives Collection will remain open at Portland Place for the foreseeable future, and is not likely to close in preparation for the move until a few months before the move.

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