Particular attention has been paid to the large museum library in the Netherlands in recent years. Two new large museum libraries came into existence not long ago, in Eindhoven and Rotterdam. And at the beginning of 2010 another one will open its doors in Amsterdam, that of the Stedelijk Museum. The importance of good art historical libraries for the dissemination of information and research is increasingly being recognized by their parent institutions, and is as a result being communicated to a broader audience. That there are sometimes great differences in the way each operates within its institution and towards its users will be made clear in this article.