History of the Library

Library Mission

The Marie Louise Rosenthal Library is committed to supporting the Museum’s mission as an educational and research institution concerned with diversity and relationships in nature and among cultures. We seek to provide convenient and effective access to quality library services, research collections, and information resources to meet the scientific, professional, and creative needs of the research and educational communities.

Library History

Origins 

The formation of the Library began in 1894 with the initial transfer of books from the libraries of various departments of the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. According to the 1895 Annual Report of the Director, the collections included 1,390 titles from the Department of Ethnology, 350 titles from the Department of Mines and Mining of the Exposition, 6,300 titles from the Kunz Collection on Geology, Gems and Metallurgy, and 587 volumes from the Cory Collection on Ornithology. In addition, through the generosity of Beloit College, the Edward E. Ayer Collection on Ornithology was conditionally presented to the Museum. The 1895 report also notes that the library subscribed to 94 periodicals at the time.

In the Museum’s original building at Jackson Park, the Library was located in the North Court. Its spaces included the Library itself (Hall 29), the Reading Room (Hall 28), and the Lecture Hall (Hall 34), along with Alcoves 118 and 119, which displayed printing equipment.
Growth and Collections

From these modest beginnings, the Library has developed into a leading resource for natural history research, supporting the Museum’s four major areas of study – anthropology, botany, geology, and zoology –,  with an emphasis on biological systematics, evolutionary biology, paleontology, archaeology, ethnology and material culture. 

Since its founding, the Library’s holdings have grown to include over 120,000 print titles of books and journals and other significant special collections, including manuscripts, photographs, cartographic material, and original art.  

The Library collections are available to a wide community of users. Chief among these are the Museum’s staff and research associates, volunteers, interns, as well as visiting researchers, specialists, and scholars from around the world.

From 1963-2008 the Field Museum Library was the only special library (and the only museum library) in Illinois to serve as a Federal Depository Library.

Cataloging and Classification

The Library collection was originally classified using the Dewey Decimal System but later reclassified under the Library of Congress system, with some modifications.  From 1893-1977, the library maintained its catalog in paper format.  In 1977, the library joined OCLC’s cooperative cataloging efforts and began keeping a digital catalog of items alongside physical cards. In 2000 the production of those cards ceased.  In 2006, thanks to a generous donation from the Glasser family in honor of their mother Marie Louise Rosenthal, the library was able to unite its two catalogs into a singular digital platform. The Library catalog is currently available online via World Cat Discovery. 
Head Librarians

Edward L. Burchard, 1894-1896
Juul Dieserud, 1896-1900
Elsie Lippincott, 1900-1930
Emily M. Wilcoxson, 1930-1946
Meta Howell, 1948-1968
Payton Fawcett, 1969-1995
Ben Williams, 1996-2005
Michael Godow, 2005-2008
Christine Giannoni, 2009-2019
Gretchen Rings, 2019-2024
Elizabeth McKinley, 2025-current

Publications Exchange

In 1895, the Museum issued its first publication, An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Field Columbian Museum, which was distributed to museums and scientific organizations worldwide, accompanied by solicitation for mutual exchange of publications. Within a short time, several hundred exchange agreements were established, and, for over 100 years the Library received approximately 900 journal titles annually through this exchange program. In 2018, this publication exchange ended with the cessation of the Field Museum’s academic journal Fieldiana: Life and Earth Sciences. For more information about Fieldiana, see the Fieldiana publication page.

Friends of the Library

From 1990-2007, the Friends of the Field Museum Library aided in the collection development of the library’s special collections. The group attended special after hours lectures in the library’s reading room and fulfilled annual wishlists expanding the library's rare book collections.

Library Consortia

The Field Museum Library has long participated in collaborative networks that enhance access to scientific resources and promote knowledge sharing. 
In 2006, the Library became a governing member of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), strengthening its connections with academic institutions across the state. That same year, the Library became a founding member of the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), an international initiative to digitize and provide open access to biodiversity literature.
Continuing its commitment to global partnerships, in 2023 the Library joined the International Environmental Library Consortium (IELC), further expanding its engagement with environmental and natural history research communities worldwide.