Since the library was founded in 1896, we have been dedicated to collecting all forms of information about the plant world. As a result, our collections reflect a rich history of data and media storage that spans centuries.
Because so many of them require special equipment or software to be used, the content hidden within these items is at risk of being lost to history. Libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions like the LuEsther T. Mertz Library are responsible for preserving these materials and ensuring that they are accessible long past their commercial “expiration date.”
Content aside, these items also tell a story of technological innovation, creativity, and ingenuity. The Mertz Library collections show that plant scientists, gardeners, landscape designers, historians, and anthropologists have always been using the latest technology at their disposal to do research, record their work, and create useful resources for others.
Recognizing the unique strengths and limitations of “dead” formats can help us better understand not only the role they played in past methods of collecting and presenting information, but how current trends in technology affect our relationship with information today.
This guide is the digital version of an exhibit that was on display in the Mertz Library from October 29th to November 1st, 2024. The exhibit was co-curated by Systems & Digital Librarian Althea Meer and Resource Sharing Librarian Rose Vincent. Special thanks to Stacy Haponik, Library Systems Specialist at WCSU, for inspiring this exhibit with her 2023 Dead Media display and accompanying LibGuide/quiz.
Library
libref@nybg.org
(718)-817-8827
Archives
archives@nybg.org
Plant Information
plantinfo@nybg.org
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
Wednesday: 10am - 5pm
Thursday: 10am - 5pm
Friday: 10am - 5pm
Sat & Sun: Closed
