The article describes the history of the scientific library, arose in 1870, simultaneously with the opening of the Tobolsk Provincial Museum. The library collections were created with the purpose of information support of the research Works conducted by the museum. The basis of the holdings was composed by the tomes on history and nature of the region, collected by the museum founder I.N. Yushkov, who established tradition of extensive correspondence with the scientific societies of the Russian Empire. It contributed to the replenishment of library with the specialized literature. Significant contribution to the development and establishment of the scientific library at the Tobolsk Provincial Museum was made by the first librarians - E.V. Kuznetsov, S.N. Mameev, A.A. Ternovskiy. Thanks to their voluntary work and dedication to librarianship, the book depository at the museum began to serve as a kind of scientific-information center. The library staff conducted a thorough work on systematization and description of the book collections. They repeatedly prepared printed systematic catalogs, which helped to organize the work of library, made its collections available to readers. In preparation of publication the authors used a variety of archival and literary sources, which allowed to determine the place of the scientific library of the Tobolsk Provincial Museum in the historical and cultural environment of the region.