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
Lent Term 2026
Full term opening hours for the Library:
- Opening hours for current College members are Monday to Sunday 9am-11pm.
- 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.
Vacation arrangements: Easter 2026
- During the Easter vacation the Library will be open Monday-Friday, closing either at 5pm or at 9pm (see below). The Library will also be closed entirely over Easter from April 3-6.
- Full Term opening hours will resume on Saturday 25 April.
Opening hours for the Library: Easter 2026
Monday 23 March: 9am-9pm
Tuesday 24 March: 9am-9pm
Wednesday 25 March: 9am-5pm
Thursday 26 March: 9.15am-9pm
Friday 27 March: 9.15am-12.15pm and 1.15pm-9pm
Monday 30 March: 9am-5pm
Tuesday 31 March: 9am-5pm
Wednesday 1 April: 9am-5pm
Thursday 2 April: 9am-5pm
Friday 3 April: CLOSED
Monday 6 April: CLOSED
Tuesday 7 April: 9am-5pm
Wednesday 8 April: 9am-5pm
Thursday 9 April: 9am-5pm
Friday 10 April: 9am-5pm
Monday 13 April: 9am-9pm
Tuesday 14 April: 9am-9pm
Wednesday 15 April: 9am-9pm
Thursday 16 April: 9am-9pm
Friday 17 April: 9am-9pm
Monday 20 April: 9am-9pm
Tuesday 21 April: 9am-9pm
Wednesday 22 April: 9am-9pm
Thursday 23 April: 9am-9pm
Friday 24 April: 9am-9pm
Opening hours for the study rooms:
- Study rooms will remain open as usual over the vacation. 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).
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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