Wangensteen Historical Library
Visit
The Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine collections contain materials and objects that broadly represent health, medicine, and biological sciences from 1430 to 1945.
Please note that appointments are required to use materials in our reading room and we request an additional 2 business days from the date we respond via email in order to pull and prepare material for an appointment. We will respond to your email within 3-5 business days.
Prepare for your visit
Materials from the Wangensteen Historical Library are available by appointment.
Reference consultations
Meet with curators to locate materials for your research topic.
Course support
Collaborate with curators to support student learning and student interactions with texts, historical images, manuscripts, and objects.
Engagement and outreach
Partner with the library to create or enhance conversations about the history of health, medicine, and biological sciences through exhibits, lectures, and material loans.
Fund your research
Learn more about travel grants that support in-depth research drawing on the library’s holdings and staff expertise.
About Owen Wangensteen
In the 1960s, Dr. Owen H. Wangensteen, distinguished surgeon, became the force behind the creation of the library that bears his name.
Collections
Rare books and manuscripts
Search our collection of 73,000 print materials from 1430 to 1945, with strengths in anatomy, women’s health, surgery, natural history, and pharmacy.
Digitized collections
The digitized collections of the Wangensteen Historical Library are freely available online. They cover a broad range of topics from East Asian History to Clara Barton’s diaries.
Artifacts
Our artifact collection contains 8,000 objects, including pharmaceutical, medical and surgical equipment, instruments, and products.
Featured content
Three new initiatives center innovation at the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine
The Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine has partnered with colleagues across the Libraries and the University to advance three strategic initiatives, thanks to internal funding from the Libraries. Each of these projects tell the story of the global reach and impact of this renowned collection, and the expertise that makes the collection shine.
Plants & Planets: Western Astrology’s Influence on Herbal Medicine
“Plants & Planets: Western Astrology’s Influence on Herbal Medicine” invites visitors to explore how medical astrology and herbalism were used in 17th-century England, specifically through the works of the apothecary and physician Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1664).
2025 Outstanding Student Library Employees
Read about this year's three Outstanding Student Library Employees, including Wangensteen student worker Dyllon Lohmann!
Exhibits and events
Plants & Planets: Western Astrology’s Influence on Herbal Medicine
“Plants & Planets: Western Astrology’s Influence on Herbal Medicine” invites visitors to explore how medical astrology and herbalism were used in 17th-century England, specifically through the works of the apothecary and physician Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1664).
Online exhibits
Disembodied Reembodied
Jenny Schmid's Artist-in-Residence project Disembodied Reembodied addressed medical depictions of women’s bodies in the library collection. This project was funded by the inaugural 2024 RIO artist in residence grant supporting art and science collaboration.
Curtain Call: Stage, Body, Page
This online exhibit explores the intersection of anatomy and performance on the human body through 400 years of interactive print technology.
The First Rescue Inhaler for Asthma was a Cigarette
A history and showcase of medicinal inhalants in the Wangensteen Library's collections.
About
Visit the Wangensteen Historical Library and experience more than 73,000 volumes of rare books, journals and manuscripts in diverse health, medicine and biological subject areas that span over 500 years, from 1430 to 1945.
Explore handwritten documents written by doctors and medical students hundreds of years ago, a large collection of surgical and anatomical atlases and texts, and historically significant books from the various disciplines in health sciences, biology and, natural history.
Research the origin of medical questions and findings as they relate to current questions. Gain insight into the context of health sciences as a social and cultural experience, and better understand your role as a provider. The stacks hold inspiration for students, researchers, educators, and all visitors. Artists, poets, naturalists, and playwrights have all found a home at Wangensteen.