The Lisa Sainsbury Library holds books, journals, exhibition catalogues, slides, prints, maps and other materials relating to all aspects of Japanese arts and cultures. Its basic level collections include general introductory works and key reference materials in English and Japanese. Its study collections support advanced research by staff and students in Japanese applied arts and ceramics, archaeology, material culture and trade, cultural heritage and architecture, as well as East Asian cultural history, archaeology and art history. The Library also holds specific research materials required by staff and researchers affiliated to the Institute.

The collections rank among the best in Europe and they complement other existing collections in the UK. By means of an annual grant, the Sainsbury Institute supports the development of the library of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. The Japanese language art collections of University of East Anglia (UEA) are held by the Lisa Sainsbury Library. The Institute's Librarian is Honorary Librarian of the Japanese Section, Department of Asia at the British Museum. Alongside the Institute website with its online resources, the Library constitutes a major research facility for the study of Japanese arts and cultures. The Library catalogue is fully accessible online through the Institute's website, as is the database of high-resolution images of the Cortazzi Collection of early Japanese maps, created in conjunction with the Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University.