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living water

20 March – 5 December 2026Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers

‘Without living water, we die.’ These stark words from Anglo-Irish artist Barrie Cooke reflect his alarm at the growing pollution of the Irish rivers and loughs he loved...

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Past Exhibitions and Displays

curious cure

Curious Cures: Medicine in the Medieval World

Discover a time when unusual ingredients and questionable remedies mixed with genuine curiosity about how bodies function, creating a complex and intriguing world of ritual healing, herbal recipes, stargazing and surgery.

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murder by the book

Endless Stories: Manuscripts, knowledge and translation in the 17th century

In 1632, Cambridge University Library was transformed by an extraordinary collection of manuscripts in a dazzling array of languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Malay.

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murderbythebook

Murder by the Book: A Celebration of 20th Century British Crime Fiction

Celebrating the richness of twentieth century British crime fiction through a creative lens, from its origins to contemporary best sellers.

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footlights

The Footlights Illuminated

Who are ‘The Cambridge Footlights’, anyway? A new exhibition explores the history and identity of the world-renowned student comedy group.

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Spitting image

Spitting Image: A Controversial History

Savage, grotesque, hilarious: explore Spitting Image, the puppet show that became an icon of 20th century television.

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Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective

Raymond Briggs: A Retrospective

Touring from the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, this exhibition highlights a selection of the illustrator Raymond Briggs’ most significant works.

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darwin

Darwin in Conversation

Discover how Darwin’s global network of correspondents shaped his ideas around the evolution of life on planet Earth

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Samurai: History and Legend

Samurai: History and Legend

Samurai are a well-known image of Japan, but they are as much legend as history.

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Ghost Words: Reading the past

Ghost Words: Reading the Past

Medieval scribes used to recycle old books by scraping the parchment clean and writing a fresh text over the top.

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Samurai: History and Legend

Previous Exhibitions

Browse our past exhibitions: from the Great Collections to Lines of thought.

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Upcoming Events

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28 Jul
The Really Popular Book Club_logo purple

BOOK CLUB | 28 Jul 7PM TO 8PM

The Really Popular Book Club: Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer

We'll be joined by Heyer superfan, Emily Clarke.

8 Aug
A person walks along the library corridor past two library users who are sitting at desks

IN PERSON EVENT | 8 Aug 10:15-11:00

Taster Tour

A 45 minute tour for those thinking of joining the University Library or who have recently joined

12 Aug
A person walks along the library corridor past two library users who are sitting at desks

IN PERSON EVENT | 12 Aug 5:15pm to 6:00pm

Taster tour

A 45 minute tour for those thinking of joining the University Library or who have recently joined