About the Library
History
The Museum's Lyman Library can be found in the Green Wing, Level 3. The Library's bright, open space overlooks the Charles River Basin with an impressive view of the Boston skyline, offering an ideal location for teachers, students, and inquisitive visitors to discover more about the world of science. All are welcome to use to use library resources in-house, and both members and New England educators have borrowing privileges.
The library has its origins, along with the Museum, in the Boston Society of Natural History, which was founded in 1830. One of the society's first priorities was to establish a library, and it did so a year later. It was a "society" library, formed by private citizens who pooled their books and financial resources to create a library that no single person could have afforded. The library, like the Museum, is still a privately supported institution that exists to serve a public function: the education of the general public in the sciences.
At present, the Lyman Library houses a collection of 17,000 titles, pre-school through adult. The collection also includes journals related to science and technology; videos and DVDs on a wide range of topics; and an extensive collection of reference files related to science topics, Planetarium shows, Omni films, and exhibits. All of these holdings can be found in the online catalog. Additionally there are three public-access terminals in the library which provide access to the Internet for research purposes.
The primary focus for the collections in the Lyman Library is science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, in order to support interdisciplinary inquiry and exploration as it occurs in the Museum, the library collection also includes titles related to language, sociology, psychology, archeology, the arts, literature, geography, and history.
The goal of the Lyman Library is to promote opportunities for interest in and understanding of science and technology as defined by the mission statement of the Museum. This goal guides the staff in developing the library collections and resources, networking with other departments within the Museum, and setting standards for in-house service, for both regular clientele and one-time visitors. It also reaches beyond the Museum walls -- as the library for the Museum of Science, Boston, its staff fields reference questions from literally all over the United States, and occasionally from abroad, by mail, telephone, and email. Each request for materials or information is an opportunity to promote the mission of the Museum.
Check It Out!
Open daily, the library offers an extensive collection of science, technology, and engineering learning materials to educators, members, and visitors of all ages. Highlights include:
Special Events
We host reading programs, book signings, and author presentations throughout the year. To stay up-to-date on our schedule of events, check out our listings.
Book Club for the Curious
Join fellow adult readers in exploring popular science and technology fiction and nonfiction. For meeting dates and book selections, or to join the book club's email list: 617-589-0316, or visit the book club page.
Resources for Teachers
The library's bright, open space provides an ideal setting for teachers to review curricular materials, develop classroom projects, and research science, engineering, technology, and mathematics topics.
Our Technology and Engineering Curriculum (TEC) Review — housed both within the Educator Resource Center and online — provides access to New England's largest collection of high-quality, standards-based technology and engineering curriuculum materials for K - 12 classrooms.
Periodicals
The library keeps current journals and magazines on the topics of science, technology, and science education available to visitors. These periodicals may be read in-house or photocopied free of charge.
Multimedia
You can find much more than books in the Educator Resource Center and Lyman Library! Our videos and DVDs of popular science series include selections from the Discovery Channel, PBS, and National Geographic.
Computer Terminals
You are welcome to use our computers for any of your research needs. Wireless online access is free.
We're Here to Help!
This is only a sampling of what the Educator Resource Center and Lyman Library
has to offer. Let us personally help you with your individual research needs:
617-589-0170, 617-589-0417 (TTY), library@mos.org.
