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History
and Collections | Departments
Library
Hours, Policies, and Procedures
History
and Collections
The American Museum
of Natural History is a nonprofit research institution chartered as a
Museum and Library by the State of New York in 1869. Since that time the
Library has grown into the largest natural history library in the Western
Hemisphere.
The Library's primary function is to serve and support the work of the
Museum's scientific staff. The Library also serves scholars in natural
history from around the world, as well as interested members of the general
public. The Library's holdings are comprised of a research collection,
special collections, and digital collections.
Research Collection
The research collection is made up of more than 450,000 volumes, as well
electronic resources and microform materials. Subject areas include anthropology,
astronomy, geology, paleontology, zoology and, to some extent, exploration
and travel, history of science, and museology. This collection provides
a continuous record of the natural world dating back to the beginnings
of Western science in the 15th century, and is particularly strong in
the historical materials important to research in systematics.
In its early years, the Library expanded its book and serial collections
mostly through such gifts as the John C. Jay conchological library,
the Carson Brevoort library on fishes and general zoology, the ornithological
library of Daniel Giraud Elliot, the Harry Edwards entomological
library, the Hugh Jewett collection of voyages and travel, and the
Jules Marcou geology collection. In 1903 the American Ethnological
Society deposited its library in the Museum and in 1905 the New
York Academy of Sciences followed suit by transferring its collection
of 10,000 volumes.
In 1997 the Library incorporated the Richard S. Perkin Collection
in Astronomy and Astrophysics of the former Hayden Planetarium.
This collection consists of over 8,000 volumes, 55 journal titles,
over 10,000 photographs, and archives dating back to 1934, one year
before the opening of the original Hayden Planetarium.
Special Collections
The Library's special collections consist of archival material relating
to the history of the Museum, its scientists and staff, scientific expeditions
and research, Museum exhibitions, education, and general administrative
history. These archives also include personal papers and manuscript collections
of individuals closely associated with the Museum and/or the history of
natural science. In
addition to textual material, are a large Photograph Collection, including
several hundred lantern slides; the Film Collection, including viewing
copies of some entries in the Margaret Mead Film Festival; and the Art
and Memorabilia Collection, including paintings by Charles Knight, sculpture
by Carl Akeley and the sweater worn by Roy Chapman Andrews on the Third
Asiatic Expedition.
Visit the Special
Collections Department for more information about these collections
and how to access them.
Digital Collections
An initiative to create digital collections was launched in 1999. The
goal is to create an integrated database of natural history resources
that can be used by researchers around the world. The pilot project of
the Digital Library is focused on on the 1909-1915
AMNH Congo Expedition. This has provided the Library with the opportunity
to create a prototype digital library that links published data to archival
materials and specimens in scientific departments. The Digital
Library Department provides additional information about current digitization
projects. Funding
for the Digital Library initiative is made possible by a grant from the
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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Departments
The Library is organized
into the following departments:
Reference and Circulation
Reference and Circulation staff can assist with research inquiries
and show patrons how to use Library databases and reference materials.
This department also manages the circulation of Library materials
to Museum staff. To contact staff in this department, email libref@amnh.org.
Inter-Library
Loan
The Inter-Library Loan Department handles arrangements with
other libraries for borrowing materials for the Museum's scientific
staff and lending materials to other libraries. To find out more
about inter-library loan policies and services, visit the Interlibrary
Loan site or email loan@amnh.org.
Acquisitions
The Acquisitions Department coordinates the selection of Library
materials in various formats (printed books and journals, CD-ROMs,
e-journals, and databases, microforms, etc.) as well as ordering,
receiving, and processing these items, including gift and exchange
publications. To contact staff in this department, email acquisitions@amnh.org.
Cataloging
The Cataloging Department is responsible for cataloging all
books and journals added to the Library's collections and for maintaining
and enhancing the Library's online catalog, which features many
tables of contents (searchable by keyword) as well as links to electronic
journals. Current projects include completing the reclassification
of the "old" pre-1970 collection and adding those records to the
online catalog. The catalogers also provide assistance with the
development of metadata standards for the Digital
Library. To contact staff in this department, email cataloging@amnh.org
Conservation
The Library has a fully equipped Conservation Laboratory where the
latest preservation technology is used to protect the Library's
unique collections. Additional information about this department
and the conservation of print materials is available on the Conservation
Department's site.
Special Collections
The Library's special collections include photographs, films,
art and memorabilia, and the Museum archives. For more information
about these materials and how to access them, visit the Special
Collections site. To contact staff in this department, email
speccol@amnh.org.
Digital Library
The Digital Library is developing electronic resources that will be
accessible to natural history researchers from around the world. More
information about the Library's digital initiatives and staff in this
department is available from the Digital Library
site. To contact staff in this department, email diglib@amnh.org.
Museum
Publications
The Library handles subscriptions, back issue sales, institutional
exchanges, and copyright permissions for American Museum Novitates,
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, and Anthropological
Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. For more details
and contact information, visit the Museum
Publications site.
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