About the library

The Library, Art & Archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew was established 160 years ago and contains one of the largest collections of material in the world relating to botany. The collections comprise 300,000 printed volumes, 5,000 journal titles and 25,000 maps. The Art and Illustrations Collection is without equal and is made up of over 200,000 items – watercolours, prints, drawings, oil paintings and photographs – by some of the finest artists working in the field of botanical art and illustration. Kew’s own archive of some seven million letters, lists, field notebooks, diaries and manuscript pages completes the paper collections. In total they form an unparalleled resource which supports all aspects of the institution’s work and also serves visiting scholars and researchers from around the world.

British Library inter-library loan codes

Library code

LO/S25

Policy code

For an explanation of these codes, and for more information on arranging inter-library loans, see the inter-library loans page on the British Library website.

Accessing materials

Can I see live document availability on Library Hub Discover? No.

Can I obtain items via inter-library loan? Yes - subject to the library's local lending policy. You must request an inter-library loan via a library of which you are a member. Talk to your own library staff for advice on ordering an item.

Can I visit the library to view materials? Yes - see the library's website for access details. If you wish to visit it is advisable to contact the library in advance, to ensure that they can accommodate you and that the material you need will be available.

Location

Browse all of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's records in Library Hub Discover here.