NBRI Library is spread over on three floors and containing about 57,700 approximately nos. of Books and Bound Periodicals. Besides that Library has patents, Botanical Gazettes, Rare Books,  Botanical archives, FAO's Books and Biological Abstracts upto 2005.
 

At present NBRI Library acquiring 281 Nos. of Periodicals on subscription and 74 Nos. of the Periodicals on Complimentary/Exchange basis. Out of them 140 are Foreign periodicals and 141 are Indian Journals. Our major amount of the budget is spent on the foreign periodicals. Out of 140 foreign periodicals only 26 nos. periodicals are covered by CSIR E-Journal Consortium and their electronic access is available on through NISCAIR website.

1. BOTANICAL ARCHIVES
   
   A Botanical archives, perhaps is only one of its type in the country, had been set up in the library of the institute. Commemorating the birth century of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, Father of Library Science, Dr. P.V. Sane, then Director, NBRI inaugurated it on August 16, 1991 on this occasion. The Botanical Archive of the NBRI houses rare hand written manuscript in Persian and Arabic, illustration of plants dating back to 18th century an earlier beside a host of other botanical literature of derival value.
    
2. RESOURCE SHARING
   
   Library receives 29 journals on exchange basis (resource sharing). The members of LUSLIC in CDRI -feel happy to release the UNION CATALOGUE OF CURRENT PERIODICALS of 28 nos. LUSLIC  member libraries for the users in Lucknow and outside Lucknow. The catalogue includes relevant data on all periodicals currently procured by 28 important special libraries and information centers which are attached to various R & D institutions, Industrial enterprises and some departments of Lucknow University.
    
3. FAO Information Centre
   
   A MEMORANDUM OF Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome and the National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow on 26th September 1994 by Mr. J. Poulisse, the FAO representative to India, and Dr. P. V. Sane, then Director, NBRI. Under this agreement, NBRI serves as a National Center for FAO technical papers, books and Data Base. Information & literature will be available to user & organizations and other citizens. This information centre is housed in the NBRI Library, which will prepare a database for the beneficiaries. With this agreement there will be greater collaboration in future between NBRI and FAO, particularly related to degraded land afforestation, biomass production and agro-biotechnologies. Total no. of Books of FAO Information Centre is around 1594.
    
4. ANY OTHER SERVICES
   
   
   1. Reprographic services (free of cost to Library Members).
   2. Inter library loan facilities.
   3. Current Awareness Service.
   4. Reference Service.
   5. Lamination
   6. Document delivery service through JCCC-INSTIRC database
       
5. SPECIAL SERVICES
    
   1. The Library provides Internet & E-mail Services to the scientific staff of the Institute.
   2. Online search facilities for 4000+ Electronic journals is available through CSIR E-Journal Consortium
   3. Biological Abstracts available on CD ROM from 1995 to 2005.
       
6. LIBRARY AT A GLANCE
   
   

   Establishment	1953
   Type of Library	Special library in Botanical Science
   Working Hours	9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
   Total Nos. of Staff: Professional	3
   Semi-Professional	1
   Library Budget	82.5 Lakhs

   
   HOLDINGS
   
   

   Books	28,200 Approx.
   Periodicals (Bound)	39500 Approx.
   Patents	5200

   
   SYSTEMS
   
   

   Classification	Dewey Decimal Classification
   Cataloging	ALA
   Subscribing Titles	281
   Exchange & Complimentary	74