During the Covid-19 pandemic nearly all libraries closed. Most have now reopened, but pre-booking is generally required and special conditions may apply. Please check before visiting.

The Wellcome Library in London has one of the best health, medicine and medical history collections in the world. The collection is for reference only. Membership of the library is free to bona fide scholars. Not all of the online resources can be accessed remotely.

The Royal Society of Medicine is a members club in central London. The excellent library and archive is accessible to members. Many books on healthcare history are available on loan. Short term library users passes may be purchased.

The British Library is a copyright library in London and contains all published material but it is not intended as a substitute for use of other library services.
To apply for a Reader Pass, you will need to provide a list of the titles and shelfmarks of each book you require as well as a list of other libraries from which you have tried to get the material. The shelfmark is available from the British Library’s catalogue. Please be aware your application may take up to ten days to process.