Collection Insights
Collections Insights brings together three distinct perspectives that reflect the depth and richness of botanical collections—from the relationship between herbaria and libraries to the hidden treasures of archival holdings, and the personal narratives of those working in the field.
Collections Lens
The Collections Lens series highlights collection managers from around the world across botanical libraries and herbaria as collections move into the future in an effort to drawn attention to the value of botanical collections and facilitate better understanding and appreciation of their importance and crucial role in preserving and promoting biodiversity data and the vast history of botany.
Imagine a herbarium of just under 400,000 plant specimens in cabinets with a corresponding botany library of 40,000 books lining the periphery, along the walls of the herbarium collection accessible to researchers working in the collection. This was the design of the SMU Herbarium and Library housed on the SMU campus before moving to BRIT in 1991. A design that in many ways is ideal for research, while at the same time reflecting the distinct relationship between herbaria and botanical libraries: two parallel collections preserving the value of plant research praxis.
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Sean Lahmeyer of the Huntington Herbarium
Barbara Thiers: Funding Natural History Collections & the Extended Specimen Network
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John Atwood: The Bryophytes of the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium & Library
Susan Fraser of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library
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Gina Douglas of The Linnean Society of London
Collecting Collections; Tiana F. Rehman, BRIT Herbarium
Botany Stories
Unheard collecting stories from botanists at BRIT and beyond.
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Get to know the Garden’s new flagship Texas plants and the interns researching them
Megan O’Connell on Texas Prairie Ecosystems
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Pondering Poaceae Across Texas
Searching for Mertensia through the Mountains of China
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Grace Lloyd Bascopé: Flora of Belize & Maya Research Project
Archive Lens
The Archive Lens series focuses on topics related to our archive holdings, bringing hidden stories to light.
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A Library Encircling A Herbarium
Eula Whitehouse’s Field Camera
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Dr. Eula Whitehouse’s Family Visits BRIT Library
Dr. Sherwin Carlquist Collection
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Mary Sophie Young
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The Sherwin Carlquist Collection
The Sherwin Carlquist Collection encapsulates more than 30 years of important botanical research conducted by the renowned mid-century American botanist.
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The Oliver G. Burk Children’s Collection
The Oliver G. Burk Children’s collection is a treasure of both rare and new books on botany and natural history.
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Library Archives Collection
The BRIT Library houses one of the largest and finest collections of botanical works in the southwestern United States.
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Rare Book Room Collection
The Discovery Fund Rare Book Room includes an exceptional collection of books and limited-edition items, some of which were published over 200 years ago and are fragile, scarce, or valuable.
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The Arader Natural History Collection of Art
As one of the newer additions to the Library, the Arader Natural History Collection of Art celebrates art, science, and the beauty of plants and nature.
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The Stansbery Collection for Botanical Art
Through the generosity of Will and Kay Stansbery, the BRIT library offers access to a collection of books focusing on botanical art and illustration, and art history.
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Discovery Resources
Explore a curated collection of educational and digital resources from the BRIT Library and beyond.
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BRIT Library History
In large measure, the library of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas owes its existence to Lloyd H. Shinners and his vision of the future.
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Participate
In a world of increasing demands and shrinking dollars, you can also support our mission by sponsoring specific resources and preservation efforts.
