History of Medicine Library at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is alive and well and thriving in the digital age

The History of Medicine Library at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is now one of the leading comprehensive research collections on the history of medicine of Australasia. This is a far cry from the founding fellows' original proposition in 1938, when they felt the need for a 'scientific library' to ensure the academic standards of their fledgling college. The present library has been made possible by donations from many personal and corporate collections. The first was a gift from the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1954, which redirected the focus to the history of medicine, followed in 1978 by the first munificent gift from Sir Edward Ford of his personal collection of Australiana. In the concluding decades of the 20th century, the value of all traditional history of medicine libraries worldwide was brought into question. Our library has survived the threat of dispersal on several occasions. The library and the extensive heritage collection of archives, artefacts, artwork and an image library have adapted to the challenges of the digital age, with greater visibility and accessibility through digital platforms. Our library, with its own unique history, has never looked so vibrant.