Keeping Bees

For thousands of years Bees have captivated humankind’s attention. Drawn by that first taste of honey, bees were followed and stings ignored in order to gather combs filled with sweet rewards. Later, beekeepers constructed hives near their homes so that they could manage colonies of bees, which provided a ready supply of honey and wax. Naturalists and scientists kept bees to study their fascinating behaviors and social structure.

This exhibit looked at a range of literature, from popular press to scientific, and illustrated the continued economic and scientific value of this remarkable insect. The selection of books, journals and images displayed represent only a small portion of the Library’s collection available on bees and beekeeping.