Welcome to the California Academy of Sciences Library

The Academy Library serves the research and educational needs of all Academy staff, docents, volunteers, members, educators and students, and the community at large. Our mission is to facilitate access to scientific information and Academy history

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Popular Library Resources

Manzanita Image Project

Nicobar Pigeon; Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences

The Manzanita Image Project is a Web resource of images of plants, animals, fungi, landscapes & habitats and people & culture from the California Academy of Sciences Library.  The project is a partnership with CalPhotos, a project of the University of California, Berkeley Digital Library.  Use of Manzanita Project images is easy and free for educational use.

Visit the Manzanita Image Project

From the Stacks: the Academy Library blog

Darwin’s Finches
Robert I. Bowman was an ornithologist whose research focus was the Galapagos Islands including the evolution of song in Darwin’s Finches. He was a Biology Professor at San Francisco State and had a close association with the Academy since 1948. He was a Research Associate, Associate Editor of Pacific Discovery, a Fellow, and Board Member. ...
Charles Webber’s hand tinted Sierra Club images
Charles Webber was a member of the California Academy of Sciences and the Sierra Club. He was an amateur botanist and photographer who took pictures of California flora from the 1930s to the 1960s. Over 5,000 of his images have been uploaded to the Library’s Manzanita Image Project which is a subset of ...

Contact

  • Library
  • California Academy of Sciences
  • 55 Music Concourse Drive
  • San Francisco, CA 94118
  • 415-379-5484 (direct)

Help

  • Who can use the Academy Library?

    The Library is open to all staff, students, and volunteers of the Academy during regular business hours (Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm).

    Members of the public with a legitimate research interest are welcome to use the collections by appointment.

  • Can I check out books from the Academy Library?

    Items from the Academy Library only circulate to Academy Staff for in-house use.

    California Academy of Sciences Members and California educators may check out items from the Naturalist Center.

    Visit the Naturalist Center for more information.

  • How do I contact a Librarian?

    Librarians are generally available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm).

    We can help you with questions, provide referrals, or schedule an appointment for you to visit the Library.

    You can contact the Library by

    Phone: (415) 379-5484

    Email: library@calacademy.org

    Chat:

  • How do I look up a book?

    All of the Academy Library and Naturalist Center book, journal, and multimedia holdings are listed in the Academy Library catalog.

    Confused? Watch a tutorial on searching the Academy Library catalog.

    There are many ways to find items in the Academy Library catalog. Select one of the options below for step-by-step instructions.
    Browsing the Catalog
    Searching the Catalog

  • How do I find journal articles?

    The Academy Library offers access to a variety of databases and indexes, both free and subscription services.  You must be on-site at the Academy to use the subscription databases.

    Browse our Indexes & Databases

  • I found what I want! How do I get it?

    First, look it up in the Catalog.

    If we don't own it, try the following:

    Academy Staff ONLY: Place an Interlibrary Loan request.

    If you do not have Academy Library borrowing privileges, try searching WorldCat.org to see if a library near you owns the item.

  • I can’t find any archival collections in the catalog. How do I search for those?

    As a rule, those collections are not listed in the Library catalog.  You can browse the list of manuscript holdings here

    Please contact Special Collections with any questions.

  • Can I reuse or publish your photographs or other materials?

    In most cases, the answer is yes.  Please see Scanning, Reproduction & Use for more information.

  • Can I volunteer at the Library?

    We periodically have volunteer opportunities for both short-term, project based and long-term assignments. 

    Please contact Volunteer Services if you are interested in becoming a Library volunteer.

     

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