About the Library

The collections are devoted mainly to the literature of botany and horticulture, especially as it relates to trees and shrubs that can be grown in northern Illinois.

The Sterling Morton Library holds:

• Diverse collections exploring botany, urban forestry, horticulture, forestry & conservation, botanical art, landscape design, natural history
• 28,000 volumes in the circulating, reference and government documents collections
• 800 journal titles including one first published in 1793
• 5000 volumes of Rare books including a work published in 1482
• Landscape drawings of significant Midwestern prairie school designers
• 12,000 items in the Art collection including engravings and lithographs, watercolors and pen & ink works
• Historic and current nursery catalogs
• Papers of The Morton Arboretum

The library supports the work of the Arboretum's research scientists and staff in Collections, Research, and Education. It is open to students, gardeners, natural history enthusiasts, and anyone who wishes to use it. Works from the Special Collections may be viewed on site. Arboretum members and volunteers can borrow books from the circulating collection. Non-members are invited to use resources in the library's reading room or request items from their local library via interlibrary loan.