Meet the library

The Museu Tèxtil Library offers an important collection of resources dealing with textiles and fashion. The documentation is related to the textile industry, history of textiles, textile design, fibers, dyes, textile crafts, history of fashion, dressmaking, fashion design, dress accessories, and conservation and curation of textiles.
The library is open to everyone, by appointment.
NEW ACQUISITIONS
Each month, the library announces its recent acquisitions. To keep up to date with the new books and reviews of the museum, sign up for our newsletter.
HIGHLIGHTS
In this section you will find brief articles or news about material that is kept in the Museu Tèxtil library (journals, plates, books ...) that we have thought i twill be interesting to highlight and share with you. These documents mainly come from the oldest bibliographic archive of the center but also from the contemporary collection with a value as document, and from the historical or anecdotal point of view. At the moment you can find the following articles (this information is only available in Catalan and Spanish).
SINGULAR DOCUMENTS
The library periodically prepares exhibitions under the name "Singular documents" that revolve around the material from the old document collection and they are linked to activities or exhibitions that take place in the museum.
These exhibitions also allow us to know this bibliographic collection of patrimonial character of great historical and documentary value, preserved in the Museu Tèxtil. Some aspects that must be mentioned in these documents are the bookbinding, the book formats, the writing, the typology documentary or the engravings. They are therefore, singular documents that require special attention and deserve to be displayed.
The old documentary collection of the library includes material from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century: manuscripts and printed documents, books, magazines and color plates. These documents are mainly about the technique and history of the textiles and clothing, and also, about the decorative arts and textile art. The legislative documentation and the sumptuary laws from the Viñas Collection on the textile trade in Catalonia and Spain are also present.
A set of documents of great interest for librarians, researchers and students, and, for anyone attracted by the bibliographic and textile heritage. Discover them!
Exhibitions of “Singular Documents” (this information is only available in Catalan and Spanish)
Library collection
Collection
The library holds more than 10,000 documents: monographs, periodical publications, audiovisual materials, documents of archive and grey literatura, and also, library preserves books and manuscripts from the 14th century to the 19th century.
Library has more than 500 periodical publications, over 30 via current subscription. The full-text from of articles of Datatèxtil can be consulted in open access on the cooperative repository RACO, Catalan Journals in Open Access.
In addition, the library has a local online catalogue, and it’s part of the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia (CCUC).
Also, the old books can be consulted in the Collective Catalogue of Catalonia’s Bibliographic Heritage (CCPBC), and a large part of this old collection is available in open access in the Digital Memory of Catalonia (MDC) project where the library takes part with 4 online collections.
Special collection
The Viñas Collection (1957), quoted in documents as “exceptional”, comprises 1,140 books from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
The Tolosa Collection (1983), comprises books, journals and collections of albums of models and fashions from the 19th century.
The technical-textile library (2001), covering the 1950s to the 1990s, with a total of 318 books and 4,800 exemplars of domestic and foreign journals on subjects related to the textile industry and textile engineering.

Organization
The library’s stocks are organized in the following thematic areas:
Conservation and curation of textiles: preventive conservation, treatments, processes, handling, exhibition and storage of textile material.
Fashion and dress: history, evolution according to era, types of dress, sociology of fashion, museums, designers, accessories.
Textile industry: firms in the sector, history of the industry, textile processes, machinery, textile design, history of fabrics, fibres, prints, dyestuffs.
Textile art: tapestries, rugs, embroidery, lace, textile artist, exhibitions.
Reference: general and specialist dictionaries, glossaries and encyclopaedias, in various languages.
Journals library: bulletins, yearbooks and magazines about fashion, textile techniques and textile history.
Audiovisuals: videos, DVD and CD-ROMs on fabrics and fibres, fashion and textile processes.
Services

Consultation in the library
Materials can only be consulted in the library. There is a CD/DVD/video player for audiovisual materials. Photographic material may be consulted with assistance from the Museu Tèxtil staff, and visitors may also request access to original pieces. Users wishing to consult the old and rare book section and other materials not available in the library should make their requests in advance.
Bibliographical Information
Users may make their consultations in person or by telephone, email, or via this form). The library staff will reply as soon as possible.
On-line catalogue
The library has its own on-line catalogue with almost all the cataloged collection. Also, it’s part of the University Union Catalogue of Catalonia (CCUC) and it’s part of the Collective Catalogue of Catalonia’s Bibliographic Heritage (CCPBC).
Interlibrary loan system
The library is a member of the CCUC interlibrary loan network. [+info]
Reproduction of documents
The library has a black-and-white photocopy machine. Users may bring their own cameras to photograph documents, after asking staff for permission, and on condition that the photographs are to be used for the purpose of study and research. Users may request copies of documents, which will be sent by electronic mail or by post. In the latter case, the user will be expected to cover the costs.
Internet and Wi-FI
The library has a wireless connection and a computer connected to the Internet which may be used for consultations.
Exchange of publications with other centres
The library may exchange publications with other centres on request, siempre que la temática de las publicaciones en intercambios se adecúe al fondo documental. To establish a publication exchange, please contact us via this form.
List of duplicates available for exchange.