The library of the Royal Zoological Society 'Natura Artis Magistra', the present Artis Library, was founded in 1838, and housed in the building at Plantage Middenlaan 45 that AUC uses.
The building was designed by the architect G.B. Salm in 1868 in the so-called ‘eclectic' style and is now, together with its 19th-century interior, listed as a historic monument.
The names of 36 renowned scientists are highlighted in gold on panels on both sides of the building (but including only one woman: Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th-century naturalist and scientific illustrator).
The building looks out over the Plantage Middenlaan in front, and into Artis zoo at the back. It is easily reached by public transport, being located on a tram route.
