Linda Hall Library
The Linda Hall Library is a prominent independent science research library with extensive collections in science, engineering, and technology, and an urban arboretum open to the public free of charge.
Services
The Linda Hall Library offers a wide range of services to support research and education in science, engineering, and technology. Key services include digital access to its extensive collections via document delivery and image reproduction services. Public programs such as lectures, panel discussions, and exhibitions are regularly held, providing educational opportunities for the community. The library, open free of charge to the public, also serves as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center, giving access to essential resources in these fields.
Collections
The Linda Hall Library boasts an extensive collection of over half a million monograph volumes and more than 48,000 journal titles. Spanning disciplines in science, engineering, and technology, the library's assets include rare printed works that are globally recognized. Additionally, the History of Science collection encompasses over 50,000 volumes, documenting the development of science and intellectual thought from early modern times to the present. Materials are available in 82 languages, with documents dating as far back as 1472.
Fellowship Programs
The Linda Hall Library supports scholars through a variety of fellowship programs. These include specialized fellowships such as the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Pearson Fellowship in Aerospace History. Since 2011, over one hundred research fellows have benefited from these programs, which aim to advance scholarly research in the library's key fields of focus.
Urban Arboretum
The grounds of the Linda Hall Library are maintained as an urban arboretum, featuring over 300 trees from 48 genera and 130 species, including 11 champion trees. This living collection has been managed for more than 70 years, contributing to urban biodiversity. Notably, the arboretum received the PGASLA 2024 Awards’ Kessler Legacy Award. The Bartlett Courtyard, part of the library's landscape, was honored with the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Gold Award of Excellence in 2021.
Community Engagement
The Linda Hall Library actively engages with the community through various public programs and educational competitions. These initiatives include the Kansas City Invention Convention, a STEMIE competition designed for students in grades 5-12, encouraging innovation and interest in STEM fields. Digital exhibitions covering topics like early aviation, lunar cartography, and natural disasters are also available, providing access to curated, informative content beyond the physical library location.