Objectives and Activities of the Worth Library Trust:

The Worth Library Trust, established by the order of the High Court, preserves and maintains the Worth Library and the Worth Library Collection as a unit in its original form and in its original location in Doctor Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin, for the purpose of advancing public education and a greater general knowledge and understanding of science, literature and the arts by enabling scholars and the general public to have access to a rare example of a uniquely preserved private library of an eighteenth century scholar and physician which is of unique national and international importance. The main activities revolve around public education and research in the context of expanding the profile of the library, nationally and internationally, as a centre for the history of medicine, science and the history of the book.

What we do

Open Days throughout the year (usually linked to events such as exhibition openings, lectures and conferences).
Tours (by appointment) throughout the year. We love giving tours so just phone or e-mail us to schedule a tour!
An annual lecture series.
Workshops and conferences on topics related to Worth’s collections.
A large annual online exhibition on a theme related to Worth’s collections. All our online exhibitions are available here.
Smaller exhibitions on a more specific theme related to Worth’s collections. These are usually undertaken by interns.
Print publications: conference proceedings (such as Elizabethanne Boran (ed.), Book Collecting in Ireland and Britain, 1650-1850 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2018) and Elizabethanne Boran, E. Charles Nelson and Emer Lawlor (eds), Botany and gardens in early modern Ireland (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2022)), articles in scholarly journals, or smaller entries in newsletters.
Online blogs – in so far as possible participating in online blog pieces on other websites.
A MOOC (massive open online course) on The History of the Book, 1459–1800. This is a FutureLearn online course, developed by the Librarian and staff from the Schools of History and English in Trinity College Dublin. It was first run in 2019 and is now a popular ongoing course.
The Librarian gives lectures at local history societies and other venues in order to spread knowledge of the Worth Library.
A Reading Room with generous opening hours.
A Research Fellowship programme – to encourage both national and international access to the collection by early stage researchers and more established scholars.
Specific lectures in the areas of the history of medicine and the history of the book.
Lectures on aspects of Worth’s collections at both national and international conferences in order to enhance recognition of the Worth Library collections.