About the library

The Science Museum’s world-class library collections chart the world-wide development of science, engineering and medicine from the fifteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Holdings include academic and scholarly works, textbooks and popular works in English and other European languages, as well as books on the history and biography of science, technology and medicine, and their social impact.

Around 5800 books are available at the Dana Research Centre and Library in London, but nearly all of the collections are stored at the Science Museum’s Wroughton facility near Swindon, and selected items can be transported to the library in London for consultation there. The Library holds around 143000 books at Wroughton and significant collections of journals, British patents, trade literature and other ephemera.

The Science Museum also contributes to the Archives Hub. To browse descriptions of their archive materials, visit their Archives Hub information page.

Accessing materials

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

Can I obtain items via inter-library loan? No - this library does not participate in the inter-library lending scheme.

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 the Science Museum library's records in Library Hub Discover here.