The case of the Central Art Library in the Cape Town City Libraries illustrates the role of an art reference collection within a lending library. Such a collection should be wide ranging in scope, catering for the needs of students, professionals, and the general public, and must be built up by means of careful and informed selection, with the needs of the local community in mind. Representation of art worldwide should be complemented with documentation of the arts of the library’s own locality and nation. The Central Art Library’s reference section includes two student collections, and a number of special collections, including a collection devoted to African art, a comics collection, an image bank, and a collection of pamphlets and ephemera. Expanding the reference collection can be an effective strategy for serving the needs of the public despite a standstill or shrinking budget.