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Students

Cambridge Libraries offer induction and orientation sessions for new users (and for those who need a refresher!).

The information on this page is about the University Library only - check locally with your College, Faculty or Department library for details of their induction programmes.   

UL Tours and orientation sessions

To help you find your way around the University Library, and make the most of its collections, introductory sessions and tours are scheduled throughout the year. View the timetable here.

Most sessions require you to book a place in advance. You may do this online via the timetable using your Raven password. If you are not a current member of the University and if you don't have a Raven account, please contact readerservices@lib.cam.ac.uk and we will book you onto an orientation tour on your behalf.

Don't miss our Beat the UL challenge, running 25 September - 20 October 2023. This self-led library induction can be done alone or in a team. Grab a stamp card from one of our service desks, solve the puzzles scattered throughout the library, and not only will you have found your way around our spaces and learned to navigate our collections, you'll be able to claim a coveted 'Beat the UL' pin badge as a reward! 

Book a buddy

"Book a buddy" sessions are available to book throughout the week. These are one-to-one sessions with staff from the Reader Services team which can be tailored to your needs, whether it's help finding your books or help with a literature search. To book a session email reference@lib.cam.ac.uk and tell us what you need help with. We will be in touch with you shortly to arrange a session.

Study and Library Skills

We want to make your experience of learning and researching in Cambridge the best it can be, and can guide, advise and support you when you need us. If you are a current member of the University of Cambridge, enrol on the Library Study Skills Catalogue using your Raven password, and explore training to support your studies and your research provided by Cambridge libraries. The catalogue makes it easy for you to find the right type of support for you and the course you are taking.

If you don't have a Raven password, you can explore our training timetable, where you will find more information about eligibility to book each course. All members of the University Library with a valid membership card are welcome to sign up for any session held at the UL. To book a place, please email reference@lib.cam.ac.uk with the session name, preferred date and time and your contact information.

Will you soon be coming to Cambridge, or are you thinking about applying? CamGuides are available for students who are preparing to join undergraduate, master's and PhD courses at the University of Cambridge, for all subjects and Colleges. The guides focus on some of the academic and information practices and skills you are likely to encounter and develop during your time here.

Support for University Staff with teaching and supervisory responsibilities

Bespoke UL tours for large groups

If you wish to arrange a tour for a group of your students, contact us at reference@lib.cam.ac.uk. UL staff can run tours for your groups, co-lead tours with you or we offer 'train the trainer' sessions to enable you to lead a tour of the building yourself. 

Other library and skills training

If your students require other library or skills training please contact us at reference@lib.cam.ac.uk to find out if we can help. We are happy to collaborate with College, Department and Faculty Library staff to arrange sessions at the UL, or, if you have a suitable room in your Department or College, we can come to you.

 

School Groups

We are only able to accommodate a limited number of school groups per year and do not take bookings directly. Organisers should instead contact schools liaison officers at one of the colleges to arrange a visit as part of a wider participation programme. Please see our school groups page for more details.

Commercial tours

Please be aware that we are not able to offer tours for commercial purposes.