A body of knowledge
Discover 500 years of book collecting at the Royal College of Physicians
Welcome to the doctors’ library.
Books and libraries are not simply depositories of information. For centuries they have been doctors’ most valuable tools, central to their learning, practice and identity.
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has maintained a library ever since its foundation in 1518. Built from generous donations of books and money, it reflects the interests and expertise of RCP members and fellows across the centuries.
Through the library, we can understand the concerns and ambitions of doctors of the past; how they learnt the medicine they practised, how they related to the world beyond healthcare and how they wished to be seen by society. These factors shaped the library’s unique character, distinguishing it from the collections of other institutions of a similar age.
Today, the Dorchester Library is a focal space in Denys Lasdun’s acclaimed RCP building at Regent’s Park, London. It is central to the RCP’s ceremonial life, and its contents inform the work of students and researchers from around the world. Featuring an enthralling collection, spanning a wealth of subjects, it is an embodiment of the value that physicians have always placed on knowledge and learning.
The story of the doctors’ library is one of curiosity, commitment and exploration. It is also one of exploitation, neglect, rescue and survival. Events both momentous and mundane – and the eclectic collecting choices of individuals, – have influenced the makeup of the library, leaving tangible evidence that we can still see today.
Discover the surprising treasures of the RCP Heritage Library and explore how 500 years of book-collecting have built a wondrous, enduring library like no other.
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