| Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| 39°1′59″N94°34′44″W / 39.03306°N 94.57889°W /39.03306; -94.57889 | |
| Location | 5109 Cherry Street Kansas City, Missouri, US |
| Type | Special library |
| Established | 1946 (1946) |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, journals, and pamphlets |
| Size | 500,000[1] |
| Other information | |
| Website | lindahall.org |
TheLinda Hall Library is a privatelyendowed Americanlibrary ofscience,engineering andtechnology located inKansas City,Missouri, on the grounds of a 14-acre (5.7 ha) urbanarboretum.[1] It claims to be the "largest independently funded public library of science, engineering and technology in North America"[2] and "among the largest science libraries in the world."[1]
Established in 1946 through the philanthropy of Linda and Herbert F. Hall of the Hall-Bartlett Grain Co.,[3] the library is open to the public, and invites individual researchers, academic institutions, and companies from Kansas City and around the world to use the library's research-level collection. Its mission is to act as "guardian of the collective intellectual heritage with regard to the science, technology, and engineering disciplines."
The library's William N. Deramus III Cosmology Theater, temporarily closed since 2020, shows images of thecosmos from theHubble Space Telescope andNASA science missions. These images are delivered via ViewSpace[4] to the library with daily updates (via the Internet) that provide the library with new content for visitors.
"TheTazza", one of the largest pieces ofmalachite in North America, stands as the focal point in the center of the main reading room, which featuresparquet wood floors, paneling and bookshelves of oak, and large windows that overlook the south lawn.
The library's collection numbers over 2 million items.[5] It was initially established by the purchase of the 62,358 books and other items—assembled byJohn Adams before he became president—that had belonged to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences.[1] It includesacademic journals,academic conferenceproceedings,reference works,publications by the government, andtechnical reports,industrial standards,engineering societyconference papers, U.S.patents, andmonographs. In 1995, the Engineering Societies Library (ESL) was transferred to the library, an acquisition equal in significance to the Academy collection, and greater in terms of the number of volumes received. The ESL collection added depth to both the journal and monograph collections, containing publications of many engineering societies, including theAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers,American Institute of Chemical Engineers, theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, theAmerican Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, and theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.[5]
The library's History of Science Collection contains more than 50,000 volumes, including first editions of many landmarks of science and technology. Some of the oldest books date to the fifteenth century. The oldest book in the collection is a 1472 printing ofPliny the Elder'sNaturalis Historia (Natural History).[5]
A number of works can be accessed online, including:
The collection includes other important scientific works (many written inNeo-Latin and other languages), including:
The 14-acre grounds on which the library sits are home to over 338 trees representing some 52 genera and 145 species.[6] The arboretum and gardens also contain beds ofviburnum,tree peonies, and Missouri native woodland plants. Seven trees on the property have been designated Greater Kansas City Champion Trees and represent the largest specimens of their species in the metropolitan area:Sweet Birch,European Hornbeam, HardyRubber Tree, Double FloweredHorsechestnut, RiversPurple Beech, YulanMagnolia, and Anise Leaf Magnolia.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
