Osler Library of The History of Medicine

Osler Library Of The History Of Medicine

The Osler Library, a branch of the McGill University Library, is Canada's foremost scholarly resource in the history of medicine, and one of the most important libraries of its type in North America. The nucleus of the Library is the collection of 8,000 rare and historic works on the history of medicine and allied subjects presented to the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University by Sir William Osler (1849–1919). Sir William's original collection is described in the printed catalogue, Bibliotheca Osleriana, and information on the whole of the printed collection and much of the manuscript collections are listed in the McGill University online catalogue, . (The Bibliotheca Osleriana is also available as an e-book from McGill-Queens University Press.) Since the opening of the Library in 1929, the collection has continued to grow by purchase, gift, and transfer (particularly, in the latter case, of older health-related books from McGill's Life Sciences Library.)

In addition to the Osler Library's holdings of rare and old books, there is a strong circulating collection of current secondary works and modern editions of historic texts, as well as a reference collection, archives and manuscripts, portraits and artifacts. In particular, the Osler Library has a large collection of incunabula (over 150 volumes), an outstanding collection of editions of the works of Sir Thomas Browne (author of Religio Medici, the 17th century classic), and a collection of some 30,000 19th century French medical theses, primarily from Paris.

In 1921 Percy Erskine Nobbs started to design the Osler library, within the Strathcona Medical Building (now the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building), and the library officially opened there in May 1929. In 1965, both the contents of the library and the interior oak paneling and shelving were moved to their present location within the newly built McIntyre Medical Sciences Building. The Osler Library was expanded and renovated in 2001-02.

After their deaths, the ashes of both Sir William and Lady Osler were placed in a niche within the library so that they continue to be surrounded by Sir William's favourite books.