Artis Library

Artis Library is a research library in the Plantage neighborhood of Amsterdam, housed in a 19th-century building with specialized collections in natural history. It holds thousands of titles dedicated to zoology, botany, geology, and paleontology for academic study and expert consultation.

The library was established in 1838 by the Zoological Society Natura Artis Magistra alongside a zoo and museum to support natural science studies. The building itself dates to this period and became part of a scientific complex that grew over many decades.

The collection reflects how natural sciences developed and shaped research over generations, connecting zoology, botany, and geology together. Walking through the reading room today, you see shelves filled with specialized texts that show how knowledge in these fields has grown.

You need to arrange a visit in advance by contacting the curator through email before accessing the reading room and its collections. Planning which materials you need to consult beforehand makes the experience smoother and more productive.

The building features two galleries added in 1885 that originally housed a fauna collection, offering insight into how 19th-century scientists organized their research. These spaces reveal the blend of storage and display that characterized natural history work back then.