How to find Senate House Library, public transport and accessibility information.
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Opening hours
Senate House Library's daily opening hours, Special Collections reading room opening times and any changes to opening hours and closure dates.
Daily opening hours
Term-time opening hours from Monday 6 January to Sunday 1 June 2025. Please note that during self-service hours, some services are unavailable.
We will be closed for the Spring Bank Holiday, Monday 26 May 2025.
If you plan to visit BLOOM@Senate House, it has different opening times to the Library.
| Day | Opening hours | Staffed hours | Self-service hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday - Friday | 09:00 - 23:00 | 09:00 - 19:00 | 19:00 - 23:00 |
| Saturday | 09:45 - 21:00 | 09:45 - 17:00 | 17:00 - 21:00 |
| Sunday | 09:45 - 21:00 | Unstaffed | 09:45 - 21:00 |
Summer opening hours
From Monday 2 June to Sunday 21 September 2025.
| Day | Opening hours | Staffed hours | Self-service hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday - Friday | 09:00 - 23:00 | 09:00 - 17:00 | 17:00 - 23:00 |
| Saturday | 09:45 - 21:00 | 09:45 - 17:00 | 17:00 - 21:00 |
| Sunday | 09:45 - 21:00 | Unstaffed | 09:45 - 21:00 |
Special Collections opening hours
Due to the specialist nature of the service provided, the Special Collections Reading Room operates reduced hours to the main Library:
| Day | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | 10:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 - 19:00 |
| Saturday | 11:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:00 (appointment only) |
| Sunday | Closed |
Changes to opening hours and closure dates 2025
| Bank holidays | Opening hours |
| Spring Bank holiday Monday 26 May | Closed |
| Saturday 23 to Monday 25 August | Closed |
