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The Research Library was founded in 1876 with the purchase of naturalist Charles Coxen's private book collection. The collection expanded from donations from many key figures in the natural sciences field in Brisbane. Through exchanging the museum's publications with other institutions and through gifts and purchases, it has since grown into a large and comprehensive collection representing the collections and research of Queensland Museum.
The Library is located in the back-of-house collection space and welcomes external researchers by appointment, Monday to Friday 9:30am—4pm. Please contact us with details of your research requirements to make an appointment.
The Research Library is comprised of unique collections housed at each campus, featuring general monographs, rare books, and journal collections. Queensland Museum also houses several special collections.
The collection items are stored in a variety of ways: from the rows of archives and journals that resemble the kind of library most of us are familiar with, to the secure rare books room where the environment is carefully temperature and humidity controlled. The precious items within this room are often one-of-a-kind, and their age and fragile condition mean that they must be handled with care.
Discover the books Queensland Museum's Research Library holds in their Rare Book Collection.
Since 1862, we’ve been dedicated to collecting and researching Queensland's unique natural and cultural heritage.
Donating objects and specimens to the Queensland Museum Network collection is one way you can help us to continue telling rich and fascinating stories of Queensland’s cultural and natural heritage.
Explore our research through our Memoirs of the Queensland Museum publication.