The 1930s building of the Library, with its awe-inspiring vaulted timber ceiling, was complemented in 2005 by a multi-award-winning extension. This created a spacious IT resources area and a state-of-the-art repository to house the Archive and the Special Collections. These collections range from rare Sanskrit manuscripts to gifts of books from Girton’s most notable early supporters such as Tennyson, Ruskin, and George Eliot. There are extensive and internationally important collections on the history of women and work, the suffrage movement, and women’s education, as well as an extensive archive of the College’s ground-breaking history.
Library News
End-of-term and vacation arrangements, Easter vacation 2025
Borrowing from the Library over the vacation
- Current students may borrow up to 10 items for the vacation, with loans due back by Wednesday 30 April. Reservations, recalls, and requests will be turned off on Tuesday 18 March and no loans can be recalled during the vacation.
- Loans to current staff and fellows can be recalled during the vacation and the loan period remains at 28 days (excluding days when the Library is closed).
- The Click & Collect service will remain will remain in place over the vacation, but please be aware that it may take longer to fulfil requests due to staff holidays and shorter opening hours.
Opening hours for the Library over the vacation
On Friday 21 March, the Library will be closed from 5pm, with closing up procedures starting at 4.45pm.
The Library will be open from 1.30pm until 11pm on Saturday 22 March and from 9am until 11pm on Sunday 23 March.
Opening hours thereafter are:
- Monday 24 to Friday 28 March: 9am to 9pm (Extended hours)
- Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March: Closed
- Monday 31 March to Friday 4 April: 9am to 5pm
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April: Closed
- Monday 7 to Friday 11 April: 9am to 5pm
- Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April: Closed
- Monday 14 to Thursday 17 April: 9am to 9pm (Extended hours)
- Friday 18 to Monday 21 April: closed for Easter weekend
- Tuesday 22 to Friday 25 April: 9am to 9pm (Extended hours)
Full Term opening hours begin again the weekend before the start of Easter Full Term (Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April.
Opening hours for the study rooms
- D35 will be unavailable for use as a study room from Monday 18 until Wednesday 26 March, due to the Spring Ball.
- All the study rooms will be unavailable on the evening of Friday 21 March.
- Please book study rooms in the usual way.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do get in touch.
Lent Term Opening Hours 2025
(Effective from Saturday, 18 January)
Monday – Sunday
9:00am – 11:00pm
Current undergraduate and postgraduate members of the College can borrow up to 10 titles at a time. During the Full Term, the loan period is 14 days.
Please note: the College Library is open to all current members of Girton College. Anyone else wishing to visit the Library should email library@girton.cam.ac.uk to arrange an appointment.
Study Rooms:
Group study rooms on the Hyphen corridor (D33, D34, and D35) and quiet study rooms on the Chapel Wing (Middle Chapel Study Room and Top Chapel Study Room) must be booked using the online booking system. If the room is available, you can book it at the time of use.
Archive and Special Collections:
The opening hours for the Archive and Special Collections are different. If you plan to visit in person, please refer to the Arranging a Visit section of the website.
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