Access
Wolfson Library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Wolfson members are welcome to study, browse the collection and borrow. We have around 50 study spaces over two floors and a new outdoor area with 16 spaces for quiet study in the fresh air.
Borrowing
If you are resident in Cambridge, you can borrow up to 20 books from Wolfson Library. You can come in at any time and use the self-issue machine. Alternatively, you can use Wolfson's Request and Collect for up to 5 books per day to be checked out to your account. You, or a nominated individual, can collect these from the Library. If the book you require is on loan to someone else, please see if there is an e-copy available or Request it (you need to be logged in to iDiscover to do this).
If you are not resident in Cambridge, please check our extensive range of resources either by title in iDiscover or by browsing the A-Z database listing. There is a really useful e-books LibGuide if you need further support with them, or get in touch if you have any questions. If you need a small section of a book, use the Scan and Deliver service, run by the University Library. We have a page of information specifically for students studying at a distance.
Returning books
To return a Wolfson book, please use the self-return machine in the Reading Room, opposite the Librarian's office, and then put them on the trolley. This means that the book will come off your Library account sooner and be available to borrow by someone else. If the book has been recalled, because it is needed by another user, please put in the drop box under the machine. For non-Wolfson books, please return to the relevant library or use the book-drop boxes in front of the University Library or on the Sidgwick site (near the English Faculty and Lady Margaret Hall).
The building and its benefactor
The Lee Seng Tee Library was opened in 1994, a gift from Mr Lee Seng Tee of Singapore, a major benefactor of the College. It was designed by architects Brewer, Smith and Brewer, and particular objects of interest on each floor include:
- On the ground floor foyer a scale model of the armillary sphere on the roof of the Peking Observatory
- In the basement a bookbinder's press with a distinctive triskelion lever, in use at a Cambridge bookbindery until 1982
- On the first floor, a bust of Tan Sri Dr Lee Kong Chian, father of the benefactor.
The Sir David Williams Room (SDWR) is a study space on the ground floor of the Library named in honour of the College's former President, the late Sir David Williams (Wolfson President, 1980-1993).
The Gordon Johnson Room (GJR), opposite the SDWR on the ground floor of the Library, houses the College's computers on the University MCS network. Dr Johnson was Wolfson President from 1993-2010.
Over the years, donations have helped the Library acquire essential books and journals to support our students' education. You can join our community of supporters by making a gift to the Library through our Annual Giving Campaign - on the donation form, please choose 'Other' and specify 'Library'. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch with our Development Office.