Academy Library FAQs

The Library is accessible by appointment only, Monday through Wednesday, 10 am–4 pm. 

Items from the Academy Library are available by appointment only for in-house use. In order to facilitate wide research use, materials from our library are non-circulating and cannot leave the California Academy of Sciences. To make an appointment or to receive help finding a book or resource, contact the library.

Librarians are generally available during regular business hours (Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm). We can help you with questions, provide referrals, or schedule an appointment for you to visit the Library.  Please click on the button below to make a request.

All of the Academy Library and Naturalist Center book, journal, and multimedia holdings are listed in the Academy Library catalog. Need pointers on your search? Try reading about searching or contact a librarian.

In most cases, the answer is yes. Please contact the Library for more information.

Currently, those collections are not listed in the Library catalog.

You can search Archives image collections in the Manzanita Image Gallery via CalPhotos. 

Please contact the Library with any questions or for a list of the archival holdings.

We periodically have volunteer opportunities for both short-term, project based and long-term assignments. Please contact Volunteer Services if you are interested in becoming a Library volunteer.