Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
| Online Publication Date: 08 Jun 2010
The Natural History Society of New Brunswick Library: Supporting Geological Science
The Natural History Society of New Brunswick Library: Supporting Geological Science
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Page Range: 146 – 170
The Natural History Society of New Brunswick (1862-1932) based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, produced an impressive body of research, including significant geological discoveries. Research and public education output of the Society was prolific. George Matthew, the Society's leading geologist published more than 200 scientific papers. Between 1862 and 1917 the Bulletin of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick records more than 800 lectures read before the Society and public audiences. Lectures were often at the leading edge of scientific discovery, such as Matthew's 1890 report of the first authentic Precambrian fossil. This amateur society supported the research of its members by developing a significant library. The only other library in the city with scientific resources belonged to the local Mechanics' Institute, later acquired in part by the Natural History Society. It is clear from library reports and minutes that, from the beginning, the intent was to provide members access to a science library necessary to support their research activities. Both libraries were particularly important as the Great Fire of 1877 destroyed personal libraries while the Society and Institute libraries were untouched. The library was particularly strong in North American and British journals and classic works in early geology. Some of the research shortcomings of Society members may have been a result of the library's weakness in European technical literature. The library and collections of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick formed the basis for the present New Brunswick Museum.
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