The Odisha State Museum has a well-equipped reference library containing published materials in all branches of Museum activity. It not only serves the requirement of its own staff but also caters the needs of specialists and research scholars from different universities and institutions of India and abroad.

The Library was started in right earnest with the establishment of the museum. The first major collection of the library was from the Archaeological Department of the Ex-State of Mayurbhanj. The total collection of the library at present is around 21,000 of Books, periodicals, maps, etc., covering various subjects like-Art, Indian history. Archaeology, Architecture, Ethnology, Pre-history, Epigraphy, Numismatic, Iconography, Museology, Religion, Puranas, Natural History, Astrology and Literature. Besides old reports, Gazetteers Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, Almanacs, Government Acts and Rules are also adequately represent in the collection.

The library has recently acquired a series of most valuable books and journals to the extent of 2,000 from the private library of late Paramananda Acharya, former Superintendent of Archaeology, Odisha as gift.Museum Library subscribes twenty periodicals on history, archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy, art, anthropology and literature.The library receives books through purchase, by Government grants and through donations from private individuals. So many as 300 to 400 outside scholars are utilising this library for research purposes annually. Steps are being taken to classify the books in scientific basis. Genuine research scholars are allowed utilisation of the books in the library free of cost.Apart from the displayed objects, Odisha State Museum has housed a large collection of different antiquities in its Central Store. The list of these objects are given in Appendix.Odisha State Museum has also published many more publications. A list of all publications is also given in Appendix.