Jisc Library Hub Discover brings together the catalogues of over 172 major UK and Irish libraries. In this month’s blog post we will be focusing on the medical libraries which contribute to our service and finding out more about the amazing resources these libraries have to offer.
Here’s a selection of the medical libraries you can explore on Discover:
The Royal Society of Medicine Library – one of the world’s largest medical libraries in Europe, the Royal Society of Medicine library has over 110,000 print books, 12,000 print journal titles, 4,000 ebooks and over 5,000 ejournals. As well as a wealth of resources for its members, the Royal Society of Medicine is also home to an extraordinary archive collection offering a fascinating insight into the history and evolution of the medical profession. In addition to its own records, the RSM holds a rich collection of rare medical books and manuscripts dating back to the 15th century. The library also currently hosts several exciting online exhibitions including ‘Women in Medicine’ and ‘Around the World – Medical journeys through the ages’ which are free and open to the public. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Library – Scotland’s oldest medical library, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Library is proud to hold one of the largest medical history collections in the world. Holding over 60,000 printed books dating back to the 15th century on subjects including medicine, botany, science and travel – including a copy of the first edition of the first book printed on medicine – the De Medicina of Celsus, published in 1478. As well as preserving these collections, the library makes them available to their members and to the public through their free exhibitions, digitisation projects and a range of events. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover.
Royal College of Nursing Library – The Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive service is Europe’s largest nursing resource, with a wealth of print and e-resources available online or in one of their libraries. With four library sites in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London, the nursing library provides an outstanding and very much valued service to the medical communities it serves. Additionally, the library has also recently launched a podcast series called ‘Past Caring’ about the history of nursing, as well as showcasing several online exhibitions including ‘The Many Faced Myths of Nursing’ and ‘Who cares? – a history of emotions in nursing’. Find out more about the library and explore their collections on Discover.
Royal College of Psychiatrists Library – The library aims to support members in their practice by providing easy access to the best resources including access to databases and journals, expert literature searches and document supply. The library also run their own Mental Health Book Club on Twitter which aims to bring people together to discuss books and their insight into mental health issues. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover.
Royal College of Surgeons of England Library – The Royal College of Surgeons of England possesses an outstanding library on surgery, dental surgery and related subjects, that dates from the late 15th century to the present day. In 2013 the RCS collections were awarded Designated status by Arts Council England. The Library provides access to a wide variety of up-to-date surgical literature and textbooks, with a large selection available online to their Affiliates, Members and Fellows. These resources support surgeons and dental surgeons both in training and continuing professional development, helping them to achieve and maintain the highest standards of surgical practice and patient care. The historical, or special, collections are of national importance in documenting the achievement of British surgery from the 18th century onwards. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover.
Royal College of Physicians London Library – The Royal College of Physicians has an extensive library, supporting the needs of its members and reflecting their interests since its foundation in 1518. Today, the print collections number more than 55,000 titles including current clinical, educational and professional resources, secondary sources on the history of medicine and a large collection of rare books whose highlights include 119 items from before 1501, and over 100 books previously owned by Elizabethan astrologer John Dee. The library also provides public access to historical collections including items from as early as the 14th century. Find out more about the library and search on Discover.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – The Library and Archives Service supports the School in its mission to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide. Providing excellent information-related services, resources and support to the School’s staff and students, the library works in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. It facilitates access to a comprehensive collection of printed and electronic material in the fields of public and global health and provides support for open access publishing within the School. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover.
Institute of Naval Medicine – Historic Collections Library – The Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) is a Centre of Excellence bringing together scientists and medical professionals to improve the health of the UK Armed Forces. The Historic Collections Library holds books from the working collections of the Victorian naval surgeons and physicians at the Royal Naval Hospitals of Haslar (Gosport) and Stonehouse (Plymouth), with a few titles from other naval establishments. The collections now comprise one of the few specific resources for naval medical history. Find out more about the library and explore on Discover.
More information
- View full list of Discover libraries, with details of their collections
- Watch our introductory video on using Discover
- Find out how to conduct basic and advanced searches
- Follow us on Twitter @JiscLibraryHub
