The University Library

The University Library is one of the greatest collections of books and manuscripts in the world. It is one of six legal deposit libraries in the UK and Ireland. The Library's collections are housed in the University Library and its four Dependent Libraries and contains over 7 million volumes in total.

It ranks as third of the great libraries in the kingdom, that of the British Museum being first, and the Bodleian at Oxford being second; but it is by far the oldest, and contains still some of the books bequeathed to it by Richard Holme, in 1424. which formed the beginning of the Library.

The regulations of the Library, allowing all members of the University, and some others who obtain special permission, free access to it, for the purpose of consulting the books, and also permitting the graduates to take out a certain number of volumes, are such as give it a great range of uses.

The range of rooms on the upper part of the southern side was added by Scott in 1864, and is very insufficiently lighted by the small Gothic windows at the sides. It is approached from the entrance staircase.

The bulk of the library is on the first floor of the older, quadrangular part. It is entered by a handsome staircase at the south-eastern angle.

At the junction of the southern and western rooms is a square apartment with a handsome dome. The northern room, or first erected part, in which the catalogue is placed, has a quaintly ornamented ceiling and has the Thorpe arms in the western window.

It was built about 1380, over the schools, by Sir William de Thorpe, brother of Sir Robert de Thorpe, Lord Chancellor of England, and Master of Pembroke Hall, who was a benefactor to the schools.

The eastern room, erected 1755, has a decorated ceiling. A winding staircase leads from the northern room to a ground floor where the Library has encroached upon the ground floor of the schools.

The Cockerell's Library, entered from the northern division, is a handsome room with Ionic columns and a vaulted roof, and compartments on either side suitable for private study.

The Beza manuscript is here in a glass case, and some illuminated manuscripts and early printed books are exhibited in glass cases. At the west end are the statues of George I., by Rysbrack, presented by Lord Townsend, and George II., by Wilton, presented by the Duke of Newcastle. These were removed from the Senate House in 1884.

Website Cambridge University Library website.