Library and Archives

Overview

The Academy Library and Archives is internationally recognized for its collections documenting the historical development of the natural and environmental sciences. The Library holdings span five centuries (sixteenth century to the present) and include a wide array of books and periodicals. The Archives collections span four centuries (late seventeenth century to the present). They include manuscripts, field notebooks, correspondence, films, journals, photographs, art, and artifacts. The Library and Archives continues to evolve, serving multiple disciplines and constituents while fostering innovative museum programming and exhibitions, cross-disciplinary research, and creative work at the intersection between the visual arts and the natural sciences.

Explore our collections

Items in the Library may be searched using the Drexel University Libraries catalog. For additional information, visit About the Library.

The Archives collections may be searched using the Drexel Archival and Special Collections Database. For additional resources, visit About the Archives.

A selection of digitized materials is available online at Biodiversity Heritage Library.

Research appointments

The Academy’s Library and Archives is open to the public for research Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only. We also offer consultation to those unable to visit in person.

Inquiries about our collections and requests for research appointments should be sent to library@ansp.org or archives@ansp.org.

Image Requests

Visit the Digital Reproduction Services page for more information.

Coloring Book

Download a PDF coloring book made of images from the Academy's Library and Archives.