The Osler Library of the History of Medicine is home to a collection of rare medicine books that is unparalleled in Canada and recognized worldwide. The nucleus of the library is a bequest that renowned McGill graduate Sir William Osler (1849-1919) made to the University in gratitude for the excellent education and strong support he received, first as a medical student and later as a professor.
William Osler was a self-professed bibliophile throughout his extraordinarily active and productive life. He avidly collected important editions of the most significant medical books and manuscripts of the ages, as well as the best modern texts on the history of medicine.
Since the Osler Library opened in 1929, its holdings – initially comprising the nearly 8,000 titles listed in the Bibliotheca Osleriana – have grown into a rich and fascinating collection of more than 100,000 items, including rare and historic materials, archives, prints, current books and periodicals, manuscripts, artifacts and photographs that cover the entire scope of medical history.
“The Osler Library is a major resource centre for historical research in the health sciences and is the international centre for the study of Sir William Osler and the Oslerian tradition,” says Head Librarian, Mary Yearl. “It is heavily used by researchers from McGill, Quebec, across Canada, and throughout the world.”
Among its 14th century treasures are Andreas Vesalius’ renowned anatomical atlas De humani corpus fabrica, and Copernicus’ groundbreaking work on the solar system, De revolutionibus orbium cœlestium, both published in 1543. Other foundational books of early modern medicine and science include William Harvey’s De Motu Cordis (1628) and Thomas Willis’ Cerebri Anatome (1664), with its wonderful brain illustrations by Christopher Wren. From the 18th century, the library owns a number of elephant folio anatomical atlases that provide details on a life-like scale.
Among the Osler Library’s most frequently consulted archival collections is that of Wilder Penfield (1891-1976), the neurosurgical pioneer who founded the Montreal Neurological Institute in 1934.
The library is also a vibrant memorial to its founder. In addition to housing Sir William Osler’s impressive collection of medical texts, it preserves the bulk of his personal papers, and those of numerous individuals and institutions associated with him, McGill and medicine.
The Osler Library’s reputation as a resource for historical research in the health sciences and an international centre for the study of the history of medicine has been secured through an endowment fund that has been generously supported by past and current friends.
As it looks to the future, the Osler Library is committed to further strengthening its endowment by $2 million so that it can continue funding important initiatives.
These funds will help the library continue to build its impressive holdings of scholarly medical texts published over the past 500 years, while also bolstering its strengths in Canadian medical historical material that in many cases does not exist in other libraries. “Important books often cost tens of thousands of dollars and one needs to have the financial flexibility to act quickly, before they are snapped up by private collectors,” explains Yearl.
Given the significant age of items in the Osler Library’s collection, many of its holdings require conservation and restoration – tasks that rely on highly trained and costly experts. At present, the library’s annual conservation-related expenditures are not sufficient to keep up with its needs.
Funding will also allow the Osler Library to have more of its holdings digitally stored, managed and made available online. Not only will this serve to promote its collections, it will help to preserve rare and precious collections by reducing the handling of fragile materials by staff and researchers.
The Osler Library is committed to making its holdings accessible to researchers. “Together with the Montreal Neurological Institute (The Neuro) we support scholars by way of three separate annual travel grant programs that provide stipends to researchers, including advanced graduate students who may rely upon the Osler’s collections for their doctoral work,” says Yearl.
The Osler Library of the History of Medicine is a living tribute to its founder and a valuable scholarly resource on the history of medicine. Philanthropic support will help to ensure that this unique institution continues to thrive.
