BNHS Library

Overview

The BNHS Library specialises in wildlife, ecology, zoology, botany, and environmental conservation, and is recognised as an information resource for researchers across India and abroad. It holds rare 19th and 20th century volumes that are difficult to find elsewhere, along with a substantial photographic archive that includes work by noted naturalists such as E. P. Gee and Sálim Ali.

Collection highlights

The library also holds photographs, lithographs, and transparencies documenting India's natural history over more than a century. The full catalogue can be searched online.

Hours & membership access

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Library services

Book donation policy

Many of the treasures on our shelves arrived as gifts from generous members and well-wishers, and we're always glad to hear from anyone looking to give their books a good home. Here's how it works:

• Email us a list of the books you'd like to donate at library@bnhs.org and director@bnhs.org – we'll review it and get back to you before you send anything over.
• We're currently focused on growing our collection in wildlife, forests, and climate, so we ask that donations fall within these subjects.
• Every donation is gratefully acknowledged with a receipt, and the books go on to serve researchers and nature lovers for years to come as part of the BNHS collection.
• As with any donation, we do ask for the flexibility to house, share, or pass on the books in whatever way best serves the library and its readers.

Rare book conservation

The BNHS Library's collection of rare natural history books remains in demand to this day – these are irreplaceable resources for both present and future generations of researchers. But that same age and rarity puts them at risk: climatic, physical, chemical, and biological factors all threaten the survival of these fragile volumes over time.

As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure – and the same holds true in the science of preservation. We approach it from two angles: preventive conservation, which protects books before damage occurs, and curative conservation, which restores books that have already deteriorated.

Since 2010, the National Archives of India (Ministry of Culture) has supported BNHS in this effort. So far, 81 books have been restored, and a further 45 were taken up for restoration in 2018–19.

New arrivals

A sample of recent additions to the collection – browse the full catalogue online for the complete, searchable list.

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