The LNHS Library is open every Wednesday and every third Saturday of the month.
The LNHS Library is located in the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity in the Natural History Museum.
Our library is available for reference by both members of the LNHS and the general public; books can be borrowed by LNHS members.
There is shelving space for about half of the collection and so we have put all the books on the open shelves, together with a selection of periodicals.
Complete runs of the Society's own periodicals (The London Naturalist and London Bird Report) are available for reference.
How can I use the LNHS library?
- Consult the LibraryThing catalogue of our book holdings: LNHS Library Books
- Consult the catalogue of our periodicals holdings: LNHS Library Journals
- See the Contact Us page for details on how to contact the Librarian.
- Basic arrangements exist for lending books to members, and any member who needs to borrow a specific work should contact the Librarian who will be able to check whether it is available.
The Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity (AMC)
The AMC promotes the study of natural history in the UK, and is a resource for all amateur and professional naturalists and UK natural history societies. Easy-to-access reference collections of objects are housed in the Centre. They cover a wide range of UK plants, animals, rocks and fossils and are designed to help naturalists learn more about their chosen groups and identify their own specimens.
Microscopes and photo-stacking equipment are also available for recorders to use (10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00) during weekdays and on the first Saturday of each month (or the second Saturday where the first Saturday is during a Bank Holiday weekend). To use the AMC facilities, simply book through the online form: www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/contact-enquiries/forms/angela-marmont-centre/booking.jsp
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Back issues of the London Naturalist (and its predececsors from 1898 onwrds) and the London bird Reportare now freely available online through the Biodiversity Heritage Library. A summary of the holdings for each publication may be accessed via the links below:
- Transactions of the City of London Entomological & Natural History Society (1898 to 1913)
- Transactions of the London Natural History Society (1914 to 1920)
- London Naturalist (1921 onwards)
- London Bird Report (1921onwards)
To make a detailed search of the holdings:
- Click on the “Advanced Search” tab and enter “London Naturalist” in the “Title” Box.
- Check the “Exact Phrase” button.
- Enter your search term in the “Text” box, this can be an author name, a species or any other phrase relevant to your search.
- You can also specify a year in the “Year” box.
The contents have not been fully indexed, which is why you should search for authors and subjects as text entries.
Reading circles
We run a Birds Reading Circle that will circulate the following magazines to members of the Society at a much reduced subscription:
- Ardea
- British Birds
- Dutch Birding
- Ibis
- Irish Birds
- Scottish Birds
Details of how to subscribe are provided in the printed version of the Society's programme that is sent to current members, and subscription forms are sent out with December's Newsletter.