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
Library opening hours: Easter Term 2026
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.
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
Opening hours for the study rooms: Easter Term 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 Term 2026
During Easter Term, it is hoped that further quiet study space will be available overnight from 8pm-9am, subject to availability. We will share details of these arrangements as soon as they are confirmed.
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.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!