The Library is open to readers of special collections Monday to Friday 9am-1pm and 2.15pm-5pm. We offer morning (9-1), afternoon (2.15-5), or all day slots (9 to 5, still with a break for lunch between 1 and 2.15); just let us know which type of appointment you would prefer, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

From time to time, the readers’ desk may be closed due to an event taking place in the Library. We will advise you accordingly at the time of booking.

All first-time readers, including members of Trinity, are required to provide a letter of recommendation written by an academic contact (a colleague, tutor, or another appropriate person), supporting the reader’s need to consult original material. The written recommendation should be signed and include the name and professional status of the referee. It can be sent in advance to either wren.library@trin.cam.ac.uk or archives@trin.cam.ac.uk; alternatively, it can also be presented in hardcopy on the day of the appointment.

All readers will also be asked to supply a form of photographic ID on arrival at the Library.

You can access the Wren Library either via the Great Gate on Trinity Street, or the Avenue Gate on Queens’ Road. The porters will help you find your way around the College and direct you to the Library. Both the Wren and the College Library are located in Nevile’s Court, on the backs, near the river.

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The two buildings are connected; usually, you will need to access via the College Library; access is restricted to College members and requires a card however, if you knock on the door to signal your presence, the staff member at the Entrance Desk will be able to buzz you in.

Once you are in, they will direct you upstairs to the Wren Library. 

On entering the Wren Library, you will find the Reception desk at your left. 

A staff member will welcome you and, if it is your first time in the Library, ask you to fill in a quick registration form and show proof of ID. We ask that you leave your bag(s) at reception; we store them in a closed cupboard behind the desk. We will give you a token with a number on, so that you can easily retrieve your belongings when you need to. We will then direct you to the readers’ desk, where the items you have ordered will be ready for you, and a staff member will assist you. 

You may take your laptop (without case), phone, chargers, notebooks and pencils with you to the readers’ desk.

The temperature of the Wren is variable from very hot in the summer to very cold in winter: please dress accordingly, and feel free to take your coat or extra layers with you to the readers’ desk.

In order to minimise waiting time it is recommended that readers let us know in advance of their appointment what items they would like to consult and provide us with the class marks or item numbers where possible. Fetching is unavailable from 1:00 to 2:15 pm. See the Library Catalogues for further information. 

Staff will fetch and deliver items to the readers’ desk for you. Please do not attempt to retrieve fetched material yourself.

At the readers’ desk, you will find:

• book cushions, snakes and weights
• UV lamps
• electrical sockets

Ask staff for:

• pencils and erasers
• rulers
• magnifying glasses
• acid-free slips

At the desk, we also hold copies of printed catalogues describing the modern manuscript collections; ask staff for help in locating these.

WiFi is available in the Wren Library, either via Eduroam or through a Trinity Guest Account, which staff will set up for you.

If you require WiFI access, we advise you to ask about it at the time of filling in the registration form, as we are able to access the WiFi system only from the computer at the Reception, and it will speed up the process.

You will be issued with a temporary account based on the email address you used when you first contacted us.

Photography of items with readers’ own cameras is permitted under some circumstances. Please speak to a member of staff before photographing any items and see our rules for photography prior to your visit.

It is possible to order high-resolution images of items in the collection; see the Wren Digital Collections page for more information on image supply and licensing.

Please read the Rules for visiting readers prior to your appointment:

1. Readers wishing to use material in the Wren Library are requested to book a reader’s place in advance.
2. Readers should provide a letter of introduction and photographic identification on
their first visit to the Library. A letter of introduction may come from the reader’s
institution, supervisor, or someone who knows his/her work well.
3. All bags must be left at the Wren Library reception desk.
4. Material from the collections should be requested on a fetching slip. Only one item is
to be requested on each slip.
5. Readers should handle all material as little as possible and with due care. Volumes
and documents should be kept flat or on book supports as appropriate. Snakes and
weights should be used where necessary.
6. Readers should keep bundles of papers in the correct order.
7. Readers should not move materials from the readers’ table to consult a member of
staff. On request, the relevant member of staff will come to the readers’ table.
8. Pencils only are to be used at all times. Marking of manuscripts or books is forbidden.
9. The use of cameras or copying devices on any item is not permitted without prior authorisation by the library staff.
10. Before leaving the Library, readers must return all items from the collection to the
member of Library staff at the readers’ table.
11. Mobile telephones must be put on silent mode on entering the Library.
12. Eating and drinking is not permitted in the Library.
13. Smoking is prohibited within the Library.
14. The Library is under CCTV surveillance for the purpose of crime prevention.
15. Readers making use of any personal data from the collections should do so in
compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. Personal information should not be
used to support measures or decisions with respect to living individuals and should
not be used to if it is likely to cause substantial damage or distress to any person who
is the subject of that data while he/she is alive or likely to be alive (assuming a life
span of 100 years). Readers should not make the contents of their research available
in a form that identifies any data subject without the consent in writing of that data
subject or the Librarian in consultation with the College Data Protection Officer.