Cambridge University Library

Cambridge University Library is the main research library of the University of Cambridge. It is the largest of over 100 libraries within the university. Students and staff often call it the UL. The library serves university members and outside researchers. It has a huge collection of books, maps, and music.

As one of six legal deposit libraries in the UK, it gets a copy of every book published in the country. It holds about 9 million items and receives around 100,000 new ones each year. Many books are available for anyone to see, and some can be borrowed.

The library moved to its current location in the 1930s because it outgrew its old home near the Senate House. The building was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. It still stands today between Robinson College and Clare College. Jessica Gardner, its current librarian, is only the second woman to hold that position.

History

The University of Cambridge had a collection of books by the middle of the 14th century, stored in chests instead of a library building. The first clear mention of a university library was in 1416 when William Loring left books to it. Early records show the library grew slowly over time.

A new, larger library building was built between 1931 and 1934, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. The American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller helped pay for this building and suggested adding its famous tower. The library has been expanded many times and now includes special collections and a large storage facility in Ely.

Legal deposit library

Cambridge University Library is one of six legal deposit libraries in the UK. The other libraries are the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales, the Bodleian Libraries, and the Library of Trinity College in Dublin.

Because it is a legal deposit library, Cambridge University Library can get free copies of all books, journals, maps, and music published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This has helped the library grow to hold over seven million books and many magazines.

Since 2013, legal deposit also includes digital material like websites and online journals. The library is working to digitize many old books and manuscripts.

Access

The Cambridge University Library is open to everyone at the University of Cambridge. People from other UK universities can use it for reference. Members of the public can apply to use the library if they need its materials for research.

Some readers, like Cambridge students and academics, can borrow books. This is not common for legal deposit libraries in the UK. The library also has a Tea Room where visitors can get meals and drinks. There are often free exhibitions for the public to see items from the library's collections.

Janus

In 2002, the Cambridge University Library began a project called Janus, named after the Roman god. The project created one online place to search for archives and special collections from many libraries in Cambridge. This helped students and researchers find information from over 100 libraries and institutes.

In March 2021, Janus was replaced by ArchiveSearch. This new system lists archives for most libraries, universities, and museums in Cambridge, making it easier to find historical documents and research materials.

Historical Printing Room

The Cambridge University Library has a special room called the Historical Printing Room. It helps students learn about old ways of printing books. In the 1970s, a librarian named Philip Gaskell started classes there so students could try printing themselves.

The room has many old printing tools, like a press made by Philip Gaskell and equipment used by famous printers. These tools help people study how books were made long ago.

Digitisation project

In June 2010, Cambridge University got a £1.5 million donation to start digitising some of its collections. This project wanted to make these collections freely accessible online through the Cambridge Digital Library website. The first focus was on two important collections: "The Foundations of Faith" and "The Foundations of Science." These included writings by Isaac Newton and documents from Christian, Islamic, and Jewish archives.

Friends of the Cambridge University Library

The Friends of the Cambridge University Library is a group of people, organizations, and donors who help support the library. They raise money for new buildings, fixing old archives, and buying rare books and manuscripts. Anyone can join, including alumni and members of the public who care about preserving knowledge and literature. The group also holds special events and tours to thank its members for their support.

Staff

The job of Librarian of the university started in 1577 when William James was chosen. Before that, the University Chaplain took care of the Library. Many scholars have been librarians over the years. This includes Augustus Theodore Bartholomew, who worked there for more than 25 years, and A. F. Scholfield, who was Librarian from 1923 to 1949.

Today, the librarian is Jessica Gardner. She became the 36th University Librarian in April 2017.

Exhibitions

The main University Library has special displays in its Milstein Exhibition Centre. These displays change every six to eight months and are open to everyone. Recent shows have featured important papers from the Cairo Genizah, explored the scenery and earth of the English Fenlands, and examined the history of the Cambridge University building. These exhibitions are free for anyone to see.

Special collections

The Cambridge University Library has many special collections with rare and important items. It has a copy of the Gutenberg Bible from 1455, one of the earliest books printed with movable type. Visitors can see the library of Lord Acton, which has books from the 15th to 19th centuries about European and church history.

Other special collections include the papers and books of famous people like Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. There are also important collections about Ireland, navigation, and world cultures, along with many old maps and manuscripts.

Cultural references

The Cambridge University Library has been in many popular films and television shows. Some of these include Theory of Everything, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Cloud Atlas, A Discovery of Witches, and The Man Who Knew Infinity. The library’s tower has also appeared in news programs and documentaries. In an unfinished novel by C. S. Lewis called The Dark Tower, a famous tower looks like this building.