The Osler Library of the History of Medicine comprises a circulating/reference collection of secondary literature and journals on the history of the health sciences, as well as a large collection of primary materials (pre 1914). The nucleus of the collection is the 8,000 rare and historic volumes assembled by the Library's founder, Sir William Osler (1849 1919), which since 1929 has grown by purchase and gift to close to 100,000 volumes.

The archives and manuscript collections are largely devoted to Sir William Osler and to the history of medicine at McGill University, Quebec and Canada. Decriptions of archival collections can be searched or browsed at http://osler.library.mcgill.ca/archives. SERVICES: Reference, interlibrary loan, image reproductions, tours, and a visiting fellowship for scholars. Databases have been developed to find our collection of medical almanacs( http://osler.library.mcgill.ca/almanacs ) and reprints ( http://osler.library.mcgill.ca/reprints/ ), as well as an index of Canadian medical obituaries ( http://osler.library.mcgill.ca/cfstand/ ).

Approximately 100,000 monographs, including 150 incunabula; approximately 200 current serials; microforms; films; videos; photographs and prints; archives, and medical artifacts. Publications and Guides to the Collections: Olser Library Newsletter (available for free in print and online at http://www.mcgill.ca/library/library-using/branches/osler-library/oslernews ). Faith Wallis and Pamela Miller, eds., 75 Books from the Osler Library (2004); Bibliotheca Osleriana (1929; reprint with corrections 1969 and 1987); The Osler Library (1979); Lawrence D. Longo and Philip M. Teigen; Osler Library Studies in the History of Medicine: 1: E. H. Bensley, McGill Medical Luminaries, 1990; 2: R. L. Golden, ed., Oslerian Verse, 1992; 3: R. L. Golden, ed., The Works of Egerton Yorrick Davis, M. D., 1999; 4: E. F. Nation, C. G. Roland, J. P. McGovern, An Annotated Checklist of Osleriana: Volume One, 1976, reprint, 2000; 5: E. F. Nation, C. G. Roland, J. P. McGovern, An Annotated Checklist of Osleriana: Volume Two, 2000; 6: J. W. Lella, Willie: A Dream, 2000) 7: Lawrence D. Longo and Philip M. Teigen, "Dearest Yours WO" William Osler's Letters from Egypt to Grace Revere Osler, 2002; 8: R. L. Golden, "A History of William Osler's" 'The Principles and Practice of Medicine', 2004; 9: Theodore L. Sourkes, The Life and Work of J.L.W. Thudichum, 1929-1901, 2003; Disease in History: Medical Profiles of Illustrious Persons (exhibition catalog prepared by Mary Simon, 1996). 10: Dr. Richard L. Golden, Dr. Charles S. Bryan and Dr. John T. Golden, William Osler's The Transatlantic Voice: A Philological Study, 2006; 11: Charles Roland, "Noted Surgeon, Fine Citizen": The Life of Archibald E. Malloch, MD, 1844-1919, 2008.