The College Library

The College has had a library since 1351. The Foundress's Library was created four years after the College's foundation and occupied a single room located on the first floor of the south side of the original First Court. In 1452 a new library was constructed again on a single floor, above what was then a one-story Hall. Once Wren's Chapel came into use in the 1660s the Old Chapel then became the Library where it remained until the 1870s when Alfred Waterhouse designed the present Library. In 2001 local architect Tristan Rees-Roberts added the modern extension.

The Library houses approximately 36,500 books on the open shelves and some 30,000 rare books in secure and appropriate conditions.

Recently the Hadley collection of history books on the Napoleonic era has returned to Pembroke from the Seeley History Library. To consult any of these books please apply to the Librarian in the first instance. A list is available but the books have not yet been catalogued online.

Manuscript and Rare Book enquiries

For appointments to see Pembroke Manuscripts (which are housed at Cambridge University Library) please contact the staff in the Manuscripts Reading Room at the UL (mss@lib.cam.ac.uk), giving as much notice as possible. Information about the Manuscripts and permission to publish images will need to be obtained from the Librarian at Pembroke College (library@pem.cam.ac.uk) A reproduction fee may be charged.

Scholars wishing to consult the Rare Books at Pembroke may do so by appointment only and upon presentation of a letter of introduction from their academic institution and, in the case of PhD students, from the supervisor of their dissertation. Please write at least two weeks in advance to the Librarian (library@pem.cam.ac.uk) stating the reason for your request. There is no online catalogue at present; the card catalogue is arranged by author name. The Library reserves the right to ask readers to work from digital surrogates or microfilm (e.g. the Ronald Storrs papers which have been microfilmed by Adam Matthews - use the search button for Storrs to find a guide to the contents of the reels).

Readers arriving at the College with an appointment should go in the first instance to the Porter's Lodge from where they will be directed to the College Library. Appointments may be made on week-days only, subject to staff availability, and between the following times:

• 9.00 - 12.00
• 13.00 - 16.30

Archives

For enquiries concerning Pembroke Archives please contact the Librarian in the first instance (library@pem.cam.ac.uk)

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