In conjunction with the opening of the Boston College School of Nursing in 1947, a nursing library was established and grew rapidly over the next several decades. It was largely integrated with general collection in O’Neill Library upon its opening in 1984. Special collections, including archives and rare books, were transferred to Burns Library when it opened in 1986.
Rare and scarce books pertaining to the history of nursing, nursing practice, and nursing education currently number about 2,200 titles. Archival collections number more than a dozen.
Notable archival collections associated with prominent nurses include:
Records of the Boston College Connell School of Nursing are housed in the University Archives. Records of other nursing schools include:
Records of nursing associations include: