"The Library is cozy and comfortable, with a quiet and respectful atmosphere. It's a relaxed and non-stuffy place with a great ambiance and super helpful staff. It feels like 'our' space as students."
Our distinctive Library aims to be your base for research and learning whether you are with us for a one-year Masters course or conducting research for your PhD, studying full-time or as a part-time student. As a member of Wolfson College you will have round-the-clock access to study space and books, the support of friendly and experienced Library staff, and access to hundreds of scholarly databases.
The Lee Library
The Library holds over 20,000 books which cater for all disciplines. The collection is constantly expanding and if the Library doesn't stock the book you need, we actively encourage you to suggest that we purchase a copy. This is different to most colleges in Cambridge, many of which just purchase books for undergraduate students. We can often acquire books and make them available to you within a couple of days. The library has generous borrowing periods and a flexible approach to using our print resources.
This is also a popular place to work, with a choice of congenial study areas on two floors and over 50 desks. The building is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and has amenities such as a computer room and printers, kettle, refrigerator and lockers. Students are free to have food and drinks in the reading rooms. We offer a range of accessible study aids such as tinted overlays, a writing slope, lumbar supports, ear plugs and laptop stands. More information about how we can support disabled users is available from our webpages. We also run craft activities throughout the year and showcase our collections in a range of book displays.
Academic Skills Support
The Wolfson Lee Library offers exceptional academic skills support to students at all stages of their studies and research. We are unique amongst the Cambridge colleges in having a dedicated Academic Skills Librarian, Alberto Garcia. The Librarian and Research Skills Specialist, Laura Jeffrey, is also highly experienced in offering tailored support students throughout their academic journey. They are available on a one-to-one basis to discuss tools and techniques that will change how you discover, manage, evaluate, create and present information. Alberto and Laura also deliver a range of in-person and online workshops: WolfWorks. This programme is tailored to your needs as postgraduates to equip you with the skills and confidence to undertake advanced study.
We are also unique in supporting students with a host of online materials on the Wolfson LibGuide, to ensure that you have access to help and guidance when you need it most.
We can help you at the start of your journey to:
- search catalogues, databases and the academic web for items on a reading list or to discover relevant resources in your research field
- use referencing software
- comply with copyright and avoid plagiarism
- develop strategies to manage your time
- become a critical reader and writer.
As your studies progress, we can provide more advanced support to:
- keep up to date with new research
- conduct data and information management planning
- develop an academic online presence
- assess the impact of scholarly publications
- write posters and presentations.
- promote your research online
The Library’s homepage contains more information and is a comprehensive gateway to the resources on offer across the university, including iDiscover (the catalogue for almost all libraries in Cambridge), academic skills training, subject research guides.