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
Monday 20 September 2021
The Library's opening hours have been extended!
Information about the Library's plans for the 2021-22 academic year can be found here.
Girton College Library: end of Easter Term and vacation arrangements
All items on loan from Girton College Library are due to be returned via the drop boxes outside the Library by 11pm on Sunday 20 June, except:
- If we have already agreed a later date with you.
- If you are still doing exams or have other work due in next week — if you are, please email library@girton.cam.ac.uk as soon as possible to agree a new date with us for the return of your loans.
- If you are in self-isolation or quarantine — if you are, please tell us as soon as possible by emailing library@girton.cam.ac.uk.
- If you are a member of staff or Fellow — if you are, we will be in touch separately.
There will be no borrowing via "click & collect" between Friday 18 June and Thursday 24 June. Any online forms submitted between these dates will be disregarded. Please email library@girton.cam.ac.uk to make a special arrangement.
**Graduands: it is vital that you return the items you have on loan. If you will not be able to return them by Sunday 20 June, you must let us know as soon as possible. If you do not get in touch with us, we will charge you the full replacement cost of any non-returned items plus an admin fee and any fines.**
Vacation borrowing starts on Thursday 24 June
You may borrow up to 10 items for the vacation. No vacation borrowing is permitted until all term loans have been returned via the drop-boxes.
From 9am on Thursday 24 June, you can borrow via "click & collect". Please pay close attention to emails containing collection information. If you need to nominate someone else to collect on your behalf, please make sure you forward the collection information to them.
From 9.30am on Thursday 24 June, you can borrow in-person in the Library. Please book a seat or a browsing session in the usual way.
If you will have left Cambridge before Thursday 24 June, please ask your Tutor to make a special arrangement for you to borrow early. Please note that there is no borrowing from the study rooms.
Anything borrowed for or during the vacation will due back by 11pm on Wednesday 6 October.
**We regret that graduands may not borrow from the College Library after Sunday 20 June unless it is for an exam after that date.**
Vacation opening hours
Library:
- Booking link: https://calendars.libraries.cam.ac.uk/reserve/Girton. Unfortunately, it is still not possible for us to open to anyone who has not pre-booked a seat or a browsing session.
- Open for pre-booked morning (9.30am–12noon) and evening (6.30pm–11pm) sessions on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 June. It will then not open at weekends until October.
- Open for pre-booked morning (9.30am–12noon), afternoon (2pm–4.30pm) and evening (6.30pm–11pm) sessions from Monday 21 until Friday 25 June.
- From Monday 28 June, open for pre-booked morning (9.30am–12noon) and afternoon (2pm–4.30pm) sessions, weekdays only. However, the Library will be closed completely for a fortnight beginning Monday 23 August.
- It may also be necessary to close at other times, possibly at short notice. Please be guided by the booking software. If in any doubt, please phone 01223 338970.
Hyphen study rooms (D33, D34, D35):
- Booking link: https://calendars.libraries.cam.ac.uk/calendar/girton. Unfortunately, it is still not possible to make these rooms available to anyone who has not pre-booked.
- Open for pre-booked morning (8.30am–12noon), afternoon (1.30pm–5pm), evening (6.30pm–11pm) and overnight (11pm–-6.30am) sessions until Thursday 24 June.
- From then on, open for pre-booked morning (8.30am–12noon), afternoon (1.30pm–5pm) and evening (6.30pm–11pm) sessions, seven days a week. Please note that this is on a "sanitise it yourself" basis — anyone using the rooms from Friday 25 June onwards will be expected to sanitise them after use, with the wipes provided, and to make sure the windows are open.
- The Social Hub's "club room" can be booked using the Library's booking system until Friday 25 June only. If you wish to book to use it after Friday 25 June, please contact the Conference Office.
Thank you.
Tuesday 18 May 2021
We are please to announce that researchers can now make appointments to use Girton College Archive: please see the full information at https://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/about-girton/library-archive/archive-special-collections#archive-re-opening.
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