The Department of Library and Information Services of The Natural History Museum is a reference library for the biological and earth sciences.
The Department of Library and Information Services of The Natural History Museum is a reference library for the biological and earth sciences.
The Department comprises the following subject libraries:
Palaeontology and Mineralogy Library
Subjects covered include - classification and taxonomy, biology, anatomy and physiology, genetics, conservation, ecology, regional geology, petrology, mineralogy, gemmology, crystallography, meteoritics, travel and topography, history of natural history.
There is also a Museum Archives section that is responsible for collections relating to the history of the Museum.
You can search the online catalogue via telnet.
The online catalogue allows you to search by author, title, series, subject term and keyword. It contains all library holdings catalogued since 1989 and about 80% of the records converted from the card "Union catalogue". The database includes records for selected articles within serials, as well as records for books, serials, manuscripts, drawings and other types of library material.
An on-line guide to the use of the library catalogue is available from our gopher site.
Users should always try the online catalogue first, but if they are unable to locate what they want they should consult the appropriate subject library card catalogue, or ask a member of the library staff.
A retroconversion team is currently editing online records and adding full shelf locations where necessary. Any queries about the online catalogue should be addressed to Gillian Cornelius, Head of Technical Services, E-mail g.cornelius@nhm.ac.uk
The collections are of international importance with extensive holdings of early works, periodicals and current literature; including over 800,000 books, 20,000 periodical titles (about half of them current) and the third largest collection of original watercolour drawings in the United Kingdom, as well as maps (especially geological maps) manuscripts and the archives of The Natural History Museum.
While the Department's prime objective is to serve the research needs of the staff of The Natural History Museum, its facilities are also available to bona fide researchers.
In order to ensure that our staff are able to meet your needs, please write, telephone or email in advance to the appropriate library to make an appointment. On your first visit you will be issued (subject to proof of identity) with a readers ticket valid for two years.
You will not be charged for admission to the Museum in order to visit the libraries.
The libraries are open Monday to Friday, 10.00 - 16.30
They are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, Public holidays, and certain other days. Full details for the current year are available on request.
References The collections are available without charge for reference only. Items cannot be borrowed.
Enquiries are accepted in person or by telephone, post, fax, or email and specialist librarians are available to provide assistance. Enquiries for commercial purposes are charged at an hourly rate (details on request).
Computer search service - a number of databases in the biological and earth sciences are available and more than 100 external databases are available for searching on-line. Details of databases and charges are available on request.
Photocopies can be made (subject to copyright regulations) for readers or for despatch by post to all parts of the world. Details of charges are available on request.
Photographs can be made of illustrative material (subject ot copyright regulations). Details of charges available on request.
Publications: Microfiche list of periodical titles held.
