One of the UK's largest libraries for arts, humanities & social sciences with over 2 million books, 50 special collections and 1,800 archival collections.
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Senate House Library welcomes rare books enthusiasts to an event highlighting the Library’s unique collections
Senate House Library’s botanical-themed collections were the focus of a special event celebrating rare books and special collections, which took place on 14 May 2025 at Senate House.
The event coincided with Firsts London’s Rare Book Fair, one of the leading international events for rare book collectors and enthusiasts, which followed from 15-18 May at the Saatchi Gallery.
The Fair is hosted by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (ABA), who generously fund bursaries for the London Rare Books School at the Institute of English Studies (IES). We were delighted to welcome ABA members, as well as rare book collectors and sellers, to the University for an exclusive look at some of Senate House Library’s rare collections.
To tie in with the theme of this year’s First London’s Rare Book Fair, ‘Books in Bloom’, guests had the opportunity to explore a curated mini-exhibition of rare and significant items from the Library’s collections – many with a horticultural focus. These treasured pieces included Flora Graeca (1845-6) by James Sibthorp – of which there are only a handful of copies produced – and drawings by Franz Bauer, the botanical artist.
During the evening, Vice-Chancellor Professor Wendy Thomson CBE welcomed guests and spoke about the strengths of the Library’s collections. She explained how results from a survey using the Greenglass tool showed that almost 40%, a total of 670,000 items, of the combined collections of the University’s research libraries are held in five or fewer institutions – proving our libraries’ collections to be unique and hard to replicate.
Guests also had the chance to hear from Catríona Cannon, Librarian and Programme Director for the Library Transformation Programme, who spoke about the power of libraries to change lives and the importance of our diverse audiences in helping to bring libraries like Senate House Library to life.
Addressing guests, Catríona spoke about ambitious plans for the next chapter of the Library’s journey, with the vision to make its unique collections more accessible than ever – both physically and digitally:
By reimagining our spaces and investing in and harnessing the power of technology, we aim to transform Senate House Library into a world-leading centre for research, collaboration and human understanding, to inspire millions of curious minds and tackle the world’s most urgent issues together.
A selection of photos from the event can be viewed on the University’s Flickr page.
Learn more about Senate House Library’s special collections.
This page was last updated on 21 May 2025
