Admission to the Manuscripts Reading Room
All readers wishing to view manuscript material must have a Cambridge University Library reader’s ticket which allows access to such material. If in doubt, current members of the University should contact the Admissions Office. Undergraduates are not normally allowed to consult manuscripts without special permission. This must be sought on their behalf by their Tutor, Supervisor or Director of Studies, writing in advance to the Keeper of Manuscripts and University Archives.
Staff and students of other universities and private/business researchers will need to obtain a reader’s ticket from the Admissions Office. To obtain the necessary reader’s card you will require university or personal photographic ID, current proof of home address and a letter of introduction (readers who wish to consult PhD theses do not need a letter of introduction). Full details of the admission procedures, including what form a letter of introduction should take, are available on our Admission department’s webpages.
We advise you to contact the Admissions Office prior to your visit to make an appointment, and to ensure you have the correct documentation. Contact details are as follows:
Telephone number: 01223 333030
E-mail: admissions@lib.cam.ac.uk
The Admissions Office is open from 09.30-12.30 and 14.00-17.00 Monday-Thursday, 09.30-12.30 and 14.00-16.45 Friday, and 09.30-12.45 on Saturday.
Please go to the Using the Manuscripts Reading Room page for opening and fetching times and details of Manuscripts Reading Room procedures.