The CED library is one of the premier architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning libraries in North America. Whether you want to take a tour or check out reference guides, you can find out what’s available at the Environmental Design Library. Alumni may receive library privileges through membership in the Cal Alumni Association, or may purchase a card for $100/year. Alumni may qualify for free privileges if they're presently enrolled in certain educational institutions.

The Environmental Design Archives also is a valuable resource to scholars, historians, and environmental design professionals. The Archives has significant holdings of the work of leading Northern California practitioners. Primary records include drawings, plans, correspondence, reports, specifications, photographs, plant lists, subject files, and artifacts.

The Visual Resources Library, formerly the Architecture Slide Library, circulates 300,000 35mm slides and 80,000 digital images of architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture, art and design, and related fields to faculty and graduate students for teaching and scholarly use. The library's holdings include the collections of a number of notable architects and designers. Approximately 6,000 images per year are added to the collection. Orientations are required before first use of the library.