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 opening hours
Monday – Friday only
(closed weekends)
9am – 5pm
However, some days may have shorter opening hours depending on staff availability.
The Library will be closed from 5pm on Friday 16 August until 9am on Monday 2 September.
If planning a journey specifically to use the Library, it would be worth contacting us in advance — tel. 01223 338970 or email library@girton.cam.ac.uk.
Study rooms:
Group study rooms D33 and D35, and the quiet study rooms on Middle and Top Chapel Wing, are available for booking throughout the summer, including while the Library is closed.
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.
End of Easter Term and summer vacation arrangements 2024
All items on loan from Girton College Library are due to be returned by 11pm on Tuesday 11 June, unless:
- We have already agreed a later date with you.
- You are still doing exams or have other work due in later that week — if you are, please get in touch as soon as possible to agree a new date with us for the return of your loans. You can email us at library@girton.cam.ac.uk or pop into the Library.
** Graduands: it is vital that you return the items you have on loan. If you will not be able to return your loans by Tuesday 11 June, you must let us know as soon as possible. For anything that has not been returned by Friday 14 June, you will be charged the full replacement costs plus an admin fee. **
Vacation borrowing starts on Wednesday 12 June
- You may borrow up to 10 items for the vacation. No vacation borrowing is permitted until all term loans have been returned.
- Please note that there is no borrowing from the study rooms.
- Anything borrowing for or during the vacation will due back by 11pm on Wednesday 9 October.
** We regret that graduands may not borrow from the College Library after Tuesday 11 June unless it is for an exam after that date. **
Library vacation opening hours
- The Library will be open 9am–11pm on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June.
- Thereafter, the Library will be open Mondays to Fridays, 9am–5pm (closed weekends). However some days may have shorter opening hours and/or be closed over lunch, depending on staff availability.
- The Library will be closed completely for a fortnight beginning Monday 19 August.
- It may also be necessary to close at other times, possibly at short notice. If planning a journey specifically to use the Library, we recommend that you email to check availability.
- Full Term opening hours will resume the weekend immediately before the start of the Michaelmas Full Term (Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October).
Study room availability over the summer
- Group study rooms D33 and D35 will remain available for booking throughout the summer.
- Group study room D34 will come out of use as a study room from Friday 21 June until September.
- Temporary study room F27 will come out of use as a study room from Friday 14 June.
For more information about the study rooms, please consult the booking pages.
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