Photo of a book in the Mertz Library's rare book room

Mertz Library

Hundreds of thousands of books, centuries of knowledge—all at your fingertips. The LuEsther T. Mertz Library is one of the world’s premier collections of botanical literature from throughout world history, and the largest such archive in the Western Hemisphere. Our expert librarians are here to help you find what you need, whether you’re looking for an out-of-print cookbook or doing research on international floras for your dissertation. Free for all to explore, this is your destination for the collected plant wisdom of human history.

Library Hours

Today’s Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Contacts

Library

E-mail: libref@nybg.org
Phone: (718)-817-8827

Archives

Plant Information

The New York Botanical Garden’s collection databases offer public access to a wide range of information, including historical materials that may contain offensive and unacceptable language. NYBG is committed to preserving collections data in their original forms for historical accuracy and to facilitate research. The information associated with collections data does not reflect the views or values of NYBG. We welcome feedback and questions about language found in our databases. Please contact collectionsidea@nybg.org.

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about all things NYBG