The House of the Temple houses the second largest collection regarding poet Robert Burns in the world outside of Scotland. Burns is known as the Poet Laureate of Masonry. The collection was compiled and donated by William Smith, 32°, the former director of the U.S. Botanical Gardens. In addition to works by Bro. Robert Burns, the Library contains works about him and about Scotland, as well as “Chap Books,” some of which contain Burns’s poems, and others which reflect the times during which he lived.