The Library’s documents consist of about 10,000 bibliographical records, divided into monographic titles, reference works, theses and dissertations, periodicals, analyses (articles from periodicals and monographies) and a significant series of off-prints.
In addition to a valuable series of Archaeological works, the museum also has works on other subjects, particularly the History of Portuguese Expansion and Discoveries, Local History, Heraldry, History of Art, Architecture, Physical and Ethnographic Anthropology of the former territories colonised by, particularly Angola, Mozambique and Brazil.
The works include the collection called the Historical or Old Library. Situated in hall 4 of the Museum, from a museographic point of view, it was created as a tribute to the Association’s first chairmen, Joaquim Possidónio da Silva and the Count of São Januário, this part of the Library, being an official part of the Museum.
Created by Possidónio da Silva during the first years AAP and MAC, the Old Library is like an encyclopaedia and, during the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, mainly consisted of works donated or deposited by the executive of the Association and their associates, and enriched by works from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Following the objectives decided when it was created, the Library is designed for internal use, as a support for the activities of the AAP and the Museum, the consultation of documents, in person, being available for associates of the AAP and researchers officially authorised by the Management.
The library uses the Biblionet document management programme, its bibliographical catalogues being accessible and available for consultation online athttp://bibliotecarqueologos.pt/Opac. Searches can be made by author, titles or subjects, among other criteria.
In order to make an appointment for an (in person) consultation after searching online in the bibliographical catalogue, interested parties should contact Paulo Gonçalves, the director of the Library, by email, to biblioteca@arqueologos.pt, or by telephone to no. 212 451 554.
As there is no service for the borrowing of works for home use, the possibility is presently being considered of digitalising the documentation requested by users, assessed case by case, and then sent subsequently by electronic mail.
It is possible to consult the Bibliographical Newsletters in the records that enter the Library’s Data Base every six months.
The AAP is the oldest heritage defence association in Portugal and oversees the Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, the first art and archaeology museum in the country