Courtney Library

50°15′49″N 5°03′17″W / 50.2637°N 5.0548°W / 50.2637; -5.0548

The Courtney Library is the library of the Royal Institution of Cornwall. It is housed in the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, Cornwall.

The library holds the collection of the Museum as well as around 30,000 documents relating to Cornish families and estates, newspaper files, photographs, maps and various other collections. The Courtney Library also owns a full index of the RIC's annual journal from its first publication in 1864.

The University of Exeter's Institute of Cornish Studies notes that the Courtney Library has "an extensive collection" on local history, archaeology, mining and geology.

In 2018, the bicentenary year of the RIC, the library announced it was preparing to digitise a notebook of the mineralogist Philip Rashleigh in order to better preserve it.

The Courtney Library is integral to the Royal Institution of Cornwall’s mission to preserve and promote Cornish heritage. The Royal Institution, founded in 1818, established the library to support the study of Cornish archaeology, science, and history.

In 2016, several UK library professionals and academic researchers highlighted the Courtney Library as one of the most important regional research libraries in the country. Its holdings were described as nationally significant for their depth in Cornish mining, maritime, and social history. Experts noted the breadth of its primary sources for industrial archaeology, estate development, and local governance.

The library serves a diverse user base, including academic researchers, amateur historians, genealogists, and students. Staff provide guidance in locating and handling rare or fragile materials, and appointments are available weekly for public access. The Royal Cornwall Museum’s outreach has included exhibitions and talks that draw on items from the Courtney Library’s collection.