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
Vacation arrangements: Easter 2026
- For the remainder of the Easter vacation the Library will be open Monday-Friday, closing at 9pm.
- If you are planning a special journey to use the Library, we recommend contacting us in advance at tel. 01223 338970 or by email to library@girton.cam.ac.uk
Full Term opening hours will resume on Saturday 25 April. Throughout Easter Term our usual opening hours are being extended where possible, as follows:
- Monday-Wednesday: 9am until midnight
- Thursday: 9am until 11pm
- Friday-Saturday: 9am until midnight
- Sunday: 9am until 11pm
Any changes to this schedule will be clearly signposted in the Library.
*** The Old JCR will be available for quiet study whenever the Library is closed during the Easter vacation. ***
Opening hours for the study rooms: Easter 2026
- Study rooms remain open as usual. Please book study rooms before using them.
- Group study rooms D33, D34 and D35 on the hyphen corridor are bookable 24/7.
- Quiet study rooms on Middle Chapel and Top Chapel are bookable from 8.15am to midnight.
- Postgraduate-only study room F40 is bookable 24/7 (please note that you will need to collect the key from the Porters' Lodge).
Old JCR: Easter 2026
The Old JCR will be available for quiet study only overnight and weekends during the Easter vacation as follows:
- Monday 20 – Friday 24 April: 5pm-9am each night
During Easter Term, it is hoped that further quiet study space will be available overnight from 8pm-9am, subject to availability.
Archive and Special Collections:
The opening hours for the Archive and Special Collections are different. Please see the Arranging a Visit section of the website for full information, but note that the Reading Room is open by appointment only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-4.30pm.
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