The Linnean Society of London Library
From its beginnings in 1788, the Society set out to make books on natural history available to its members, who might not otherwise have had access to such literature. The Library is still a major source of information on plant and animal classification, and the premier source of information on the life and work of Carl Linnaeus.
The Library is open to all, free of charge, but non-members are asked to make an appointment to ensure staff and resources are available. Contact details are below and arrangements for access and facilities are outlined in the Library general information page Using the Library.
The books cover the literature of biology from 1483 to date, with especially strong collections of eighteenth and nineteenth century titles in all languages. Special areas of interest include plant and animal classification, Darwinism and the evolutionary controversy, conchology, ornithology, early mycology, expedition reports, ecology, and wildlife conservation, with a special collection on tea production.
Approximately 300 serials are currently taken, with over 2,000 earlier serial titles. These are not yet in the on-line Library Catalogue. They are in all languages, from most countries, and cover a wide spectrum of biology, but with an emphasis on taxonomy and systematics. A special feature of the collection is the large number of early titles from academic institutions, some dating from the seventeenth century. For example, the Linnean Society is the only learned society in Burlington House to hold a long run of the important French periodical Comptes Rendus, published by the Academie des Sciences.
Click here to browse the Library Catalogue online
Among the resources which the Library can offer to researchers are:
Contact the library
The Library, Linnean Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BF
Email: library(at)linnean.org
Tel: +44 (0)20 7434 4479 EXT 23 Fax: +44 (0)20 7287 9364
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The Library Reading Room
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