Visit the library
The Terence S. Tarr Botanical and Horticulture Library features nearly 2,000 books on plants, botany, gardening, botanical history, regional flora, and landscaping.
The shelves are stocked with illustrated references on specific plant varieties, landscape design and conservation. Books are available for research, browsing, reading, and creative inspiration; borrowing privileges are reserved for SFBG members only. Join/renew and begin receiving benefits today!
The Library is available by appointment most Tuesday mornings, 10am-12pm.
Please email [email protected] in advance with the date you wish to visit to be sure the Library is available.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden Administrative Office
Stewart L. Udall Building, Museum Hill
725 Camino Lejo, Ste E
Santa Fe, NM 87505
About Terence S. Tarr
November 17, 1935 – December 10, 2011
Terence became involved with Santa Fe Botanical Garden very soon after moving to Santa Fe in 1991 and was its first librarian and archivist.
A farm boy born a few miles south of the Canadian border, Terence Stephen Tarr was a graduate of Washington State University prior to earning a Ph. D in Latin-American history at the University of Florida and a Master of Library Science degree and a certificate in archival studies, both from the University of Denver. He taught for two years at the University of Mississippi and 29 years at the University of Denver prior to retiring to Santa Fe.
His lifelong interest in scientific horticulture probably began with his early acquaintance with the Queen Elizabeth Garden in Vancouver, named in 1940 in commemoration of the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. The Denver Botanical Garden played a significant role in his life when he lived in Colorado. He visited many famous gardens during his many visits to England and Ireland, and over the course of many years in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Australia and New Zealand.
The Botanical and Horticulture Library was dedicated to Terence’s legacy on August 28, 2012.
Donate to the Collection
We accept book donations on a case by case basis. Please email [email protected] with the amount of books and your contact information and our volunteer librarian will get in touch with you.
Other Resources
The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global “biodiversity commons.” The BHL consortium works with the international taxonomic community, rights holders, and other interested parties to ensure that this biodiversity heritage is made available to a global audience through open access principles. In partnership with the Internet Archive and through local digitization efforts, the BHL has digitized millions of pages of taxonomic literature, representing tens of thousands of titles and over 100,000 volumes.
Read “The Biodiversity Heritage Library: It’s More Than Legacy Literature” for more details.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden is a member of The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Inc. (CBHL). This international organization of individuals, organizations and institutions is concerned with the development, maintenance and use of libraries of botanical and horticultural literature.
The purpose of CBHL is to initiate and improve communication and coordinate activities and programs of mutual interest and benefit to its membership.
