Collections
A researcher preparing Micro-Lepidoptera collected in the Rampayoh River valley in Brunei
The collections and Collections Management underpin all the other activities of the Museum.
If you cannot find details of the specimens or species you are looking for above, use the Collections Navigator to discover what offline collections could contain relevent material
Our aim is to apply the highest standards in the curation, conservation and enhancement of the Museum's collections, to develop electronic resources to support these activities, and to widen and increase access to the information the collections contain. Use of the collections is promoted to further knowledge of the natural world through loans, visits and collaborative projects, as well as supporting the Museum's own research programmes.Kinds of items
The life and earth science collections of the Museum comprise some 70 million specimens or items. The collections cover virtually all groups of animals, plants, minerals and fossils. They represent the natural variation that exists within and between groups. The foundation collections were those of Sir Hans Sloane, which formed the basis of the British Museum in 1753.
Library
There are four libraries at the Natural History Museum:
Each complements the collections and research carried out at the Museum.
We also have extensive archives:
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Archives section.
Find out more about our Library collections .
Collections management
The collections management group promotes use of the collections to further knowledge of the natural world through loans, visits and collaborative research projects.
