Library Collection
The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture at San Francisco Botanical Garden serves Gardens members, staff, and volunteers, as well as gardeners, students, scholars, and the general public.
Library Hours
Open Friday-Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Closed on Federal Holidays
A Robust Catalog
The Library’s collection includes books, periodicals, nursery catalogs, archives, images, and more. Garden members and San Francisco teachers may check out books from lending collections, which include the main collection, children’s books, and teacher/parent resources. Visitors can search our online catalog from our website or at workstations at the Library. Visitors can use non-circulating materials in our beautiful reading room.
Not Your Garden Variety Library
Our collection spans all aspects of gardens and gardening, including: specific kinds of plants, garden design, horticultural history, plant lore, ethnobotany and economic plants, medical botany, sustainable agriculture and integrated pest management. We also have books exploring botanical art, illustration, and crafts. Interested in gardening for biodiversity? We cover it. Passionate about ecological restoration? We’re a great resource for that too. Continue reading to view our subject guides.
About our Books
The Library houses more than 27,000 volumes and eBooks with emphasis on plants grown in Mediterranean and other mild temperate climates. We always have new books on display. Parents and teachers can utilize our resource collection devoted to children’s nature education. Discerning visitors can explore our special collections which include rare books, earlier editions, and archives; available by appointment.
Art Exhibits
The Library also showcases botanical artwork seasonally. No admission is required to enjoy art exhibits in the library. Learn more about our current exhibit, ‘The Forest Floor’ paintings by Lucy Martin.
Summer Reading Club for Kids
Prevent the ‘summer slide’ and get outside! Learn more and read FAQs about our free eight-week Summer Reading Club for children ages 0-12. Children may join anytime from June to July.
Subject Guides
And more!
Archives
The Gardens of Golden Gate Park archives includes drawings, photographs and manuscript materials related to the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden, and Golden Gate Park. Holdings of the archives are available to staff, volunteers, and the public for research, within conditions imposed by donor agreements and institutional policy. The collection guide can be found on the Online Archive of California. To make an appointment, contact us at library@gggp.org or 415-661-1316 ext. 403.
Periodicals
Our unique collection includes nearly 250 current magazine subscriptions, as well as many non-current out-of-print titles.
Nursery Catalogs
Visitors interested in locating sources of garden plants have access to more than 1000 retail, wholesale, and equipment catalogs. We also have archival catalog holdings useful to researchers in horticultural history.
Pamphlet File
A variety of pamphlets grouped under general headings, plant names, San Francisco Botanical Garden, botanical gardens, Golden Gate Park, and San Francisco.
Images
About 2,500 images, mostly of plants, some of botanical illustration, Garden views, and Golden Gate Park history.
Information about the Gardens
Database of plantings in the Botanical Garden is available to search by accession number, botanical name, family, or bed number. Information about the history of the Gardens of Golden Gate Park is also available, along with archival materials, including historical images of Golden Gate Park.
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