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
The Library catalogue will be unavailable from 4pm on Sunday 16 February until 7am on Monday 17 February
Girton College Library’s own catalogue will be unavailable from 4pm on Sunday 16 February until 7am on Monday 17 February. During this time, please use the iDiscover catalogue to see which printed books we have and where to find them in the Library.
The Library will be open its usual times (i.e. until 11pm on Sunday). However, please be patient if you are borrowing or returning items on Sunday afternoon and evening; we will be using a paper-based system, which will take a little longer.
NB Everything else should work as normal. This includes the Library’s website, the wifi, the computers in the Library, and the study room booking system.
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.
Please keep the following in mind:
- Choose a study room that best suits your needs and use the confirmation emails to remember which one you've booked. If you're uncertain about your booking, please contact us at library@girton.cam.ac.uk and we can check for you.
- CO2 monitors have been installed in these rooms. If the monitors turn amber or red, please follow the provided instructions and open more windows to improve ventilation.
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.
We look forward to seeing you!
Library Team
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