The Huntington Library

The Huntington Library is one of the world's great independent research libraries, with more than eleven million items spanning the 11th to 21st centuries. Every year, researchers from over 30 countries make over 20,000 research visits to the Library's reading rooms, and thousands more remote researchers make use of the Library's virtual services and digital collections. Some 75 Library staff play a critical role in cultivating and expanding access to the collections, creating new opportunities for discovery and engagement, and ensuring that collections are preserved for the future.

Collections

The Library’s collections document the history and culture of North America, Great Britain, Continental Europe, the Atlantic World, and the Pacific Rim. The institution’s founder, Henry E. Huntington, made exceptional purchases of books and manuscripts with a focus on the British Isles and North America, including materials related to the history of Hispanic and indigenous America. He also made outstanding acquisitions in early Continental printing, photography, and cartography. The move to establish the Library in greater Los Angeles brought an emphasis on resources related to the state of California and the American West, as well as Pacific Rim cultures and societies. In the 21st century, the donations of the Burndy Library Collection and the Jay T. Last Collection of Graphic Arts and Social History enormously expanded holdings in the history of science and in visual materials. A selection from these collections is accessible to the public online via the Huntington Digital Library. Learn more about the library's collections, collection development policy, and exhibitions.

Start Your Research

Search the Library’s collections and discover more resources at The Huntington and other academic archives. Discover something of interest? Learn more about using the library.

Library Exhibition Hall

Open to the public with general admission, highlights from the Library collections are on display in the Library Exhibition Hall. Themed, temporary exhibitions of materials are mounted in the West Hall gallery.