Johns Hopkins University George Peabody Library

United States   Maryland     Welcome to the George Peabody Library page The George Peabody Library is a remarkable research library housed in a remarkable building designed by noted architect Edmund Lind. The brainchild of the philanthropist George Peabody, the goal of the library was to create a publicly-accessible collection that contained the best and latest literature in all branches of knowledge except law and medicine.

Begun in 1860, the library collection contains over 300,000 volumes largely from the 18th and 19th centuries. Notable collection strengths are archaeology, British art and architecture, British and American history, biography, English and American literature, Romance languages and literature, Greek and Latin classics, history of science, geography, and exploration and travel including a large map collection. The collection also includes some bound manuscripts.

The George Peabody Library is part of the Sheridan Libraries Special Collections. A majority of the collection is represented on-line in the Johns Hopkins University Catalog. The most complete access to the collection is contained in the library's pioneering printed catalog, Catalog of the Library of the Peabody Institute. Issued in 1883 and 1896, these detailed dictionary catalogs described books as well as articles within journals held by the library. Copies are available on site and in many research libraries.