Senate House Library's printed special collections comprise printed books, pamphlets, periodicals and maps within 50 named collections.
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The Special Collections Reading Room
The Reading Room is an invigilated space for the use of Archives and Manuscripts and printed Special Collections.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
The Reading Room
You can use the Special Collections reading room for consulting printed Special Collections, Archives and Manuscripts and accessing the Palaeography, Manuscript and print studies collection. There is also a microfilm reader available to use in the room.
Free access to the Archives and Special Collections
All current members of Senate House Library can access Special Collections. Independent researchers using Special Collections, Archives and Manuscripts who would normally pay to use the library, can apply for a free archive ticket. (This ticket is not valid for accessing other areas or resources within the Library.) Proof of address and photo ID is required.
To apply for a free archive ticket, please complete the pre-registration form. The Special Collections team will contact you to confirm this has been activated. Archive tickets must be arranged with at least one day’s notice. We also offer other membership options for university students and staff. Please see our membership pages for more information.
Accessing Special Collections
- Use the main Library Catalogue for printed Special Collections, the catalogue for Archives and Manuscripts and the card catalogue to find and request the items you want to see.
- You will be asked to make a booking when ordering the items.
- Please allow a minimum of 48 hours when placing your request and when choosing the date you would like to visit. This will allow enough time to process orders and ensure they are available when you visit.
- You will receive an email confirming your booking.
- The Special Collections reading room is on the 4th floor of the library and is an invigilated, silent area. Please show consideration for others while using the room.
- If you cannot visit the Library in person, we offer a free Virtual Reading Room service for Library members as well as external researchers.
The majority of the Palaeography and Manuscript studies and Book Studies collections are available on the shelves in the Reading Room. Back issues of Palaeography periodicals and journals are stored in the Main Library Stack and can be ordered through the fetch service.
Regulations for using the Special Collections Reading Room
- If you are using Special Collections and archive material, we have regulations and procedures we ask our users to follow to protect the collections.
- Users must put their bags and coats in a locker before viewing materials.
- You may only consult one rare book or archive folder at a time.
- Please read books on the rests provided, using chains to minimise the need to touch the volumes, and consult archival and manuscript material in line with Special Collections staff guidance.
- You are responsible for all materials issued to you for consultation until you return those materials to a member of Special Collections staff.
- Handheld devices may be used to take digital images for non-commercial research or private study only.
- Only pencils may be used.
- Eating and drinking, including bottled water, is not permitted.
- Please note that this area is under security camera surveillance.
Further information
Online Catalogues
Many Special Collections and rare and early printed books are listed on the Library Catalogue.
Named Special Collections can be browsed via a ‘mixed/local’ classmark search for a collection’s classmark, e.g. [S.L.] for the Sterling Library or [G.L.] for the Goldsmiths Library.
Books from a specific donor or former owner can be found via an author search.
Search the Archives and Manuscript Catalogue.
Reference number searches can be carried out under ‘Advanced Search’.
Many archive collections are fully listed to item or file level, or detailed box lists can be viewed as attachments to collection level descriptions.
Online Card Catalogue
As well as the online catalogue, a large number of printed items acquired by the Library before 1980 are listed on a digitised Card Catalogue only. This includes many early European editions and nineteenth-century works. The catalogue can be browsed online by author.
Handlists of collections
Printed catalogues and handlists of many collections are available in the Historic Collections Reading Room.
Selected handlists have also been digitised and can be viewed online via the pages for named Special Collections or through the Archives and Manuscript Catalogue.
If you are ordering a reproduction of Special Collections or archive material, please complete an order form in the Special Collections Reading Room.
More information on reproductions and licensing may be found on the Reproductions page.
Contact us
Contact the Special Collections Reading Room team by email: shl.specialcollections@london.ac.uk.
Virtual Reading Room
The Library offers a Virtual Reading Room service to enable researchers to make online appointments to consult our Special Collections and Archives remotely, no matter where they are based.
