UCL SSEES Library

Check out the next UCL Clothes Swap, happening tomorrow (8th May, 09:30-16:00) at the Chancellors Hall, Senate House. It's a great, sustainable, way to refresh your wardobe for free! 👚👖👟👒 ♻️

UCL Clothes Swap Did you know that 26% of the items in our wardrobes go unworn? We're holding clothes swap shops across the year so that pre-loved clothing doesn't go to waste, and you can find something new you love. Join us to swap your clothes for free!

Good luck to everyone starting their exams this week! 🍀 If you need a break from your studies, check out the article below.

Library resources to inspire your studies or help you recharge this exam season Whether you’re looking for inspiration, or you want to take your mind off studying, we’ve got a wide range of resources and services to support you through the assessment period.

Please note that SSEES Library will be CLOSED for the Bank Holiday on Monday 4th May.

If you need somewhere to study, the Main Library, the Science Library and the Student Centre will all be open 24 hours, without staffed services.

Check the opening hours of other UCL libraries here ⬇️

Opening hours Opening hours for our libraries and study spaces.

Happy Easter to all our users! 🐣🐥🐇🪺🌱🌸
SSEES Library will close at the earlier time of 17:00 tomorrow, Wednesday 1st April, and re-open at 09:00 on Wednesday 8th April.
If you are looking for somewhere to study over the Easter break, the Main and Science libraries will be open, without staffed services. See details here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/news/2026/mar/library-services-and-lccos-venues-during-easter-break-2026

Congratulations, Freya! 🎉

Join the Platform for Linguistic and Epistemic Justice (PLEJ) for a session showcasing a student-led project using object-based learning to explore the multilingual SSEES Library collections.

📅 Wed 4 March 2026
⏰ 4–5 pm
📍 Room 432, SSEES
☕ Followed by refreshments
🎟️ Book your place: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-west-and-all-that-it-holds-project-and-exhibition-tickets-1983862783991

📚 UCL SSEES Library Academic Book Display on the International Day of Education 2026 📚

In the spirit of the International Day of Education 2026 and the National Year of Reading, our latest book display offers a snapshot of the rich intellectual life of UCL SSEES. Bringing these two moments together felt natural: a chance to celebrate education through reading, and to showcase just a fraction of the remarkable scholarship produced by the SSEES academic community.

The books on display reflect the breadth and depth of SSEES research, spanning history, politics, law, economics, migration, culture, language, literature and film. Behind these “shiny and new” covers lie years of research, curiosity and debate - and if you listen closely, you might hear those pages offering a quiet applause to acknowledge all the hard work.
This display joins in by giving that work the visibility it deserves.

It also marks the beginning of a wider conversation about reading at SSEES Library - with student voices central to the displays that follow!

We will be inviting you to share your own reading recommendations to help shape what comes next. These might be academic texts that supported your studies, or books read simply for pleasure: a new favourite author, a language-learning companion, an unexpected discovery on the shelves, or something that caught your eye and tickled your fancy.

Can the collaborative, diverse and curious SSEES community turn the humble book display into a place to be?

Scan the QR code below to explore the wider selection of e-books, including UCL Press titles authored by SSEES academic staff, which couldn’t all make it into physical display.

This morning we welcomed librarians from the House of Commons Library. We enjoyed exchanging professional experience and showing them around the SSEES Library. We also put together a small display of items from our unique special collections for them to explore.

Term ends today, so here's a reminder of SSEES Library's opening hours over the Christmas break. (Please note that we will be 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 tomorrow!)
You can check the opening hours of all UCL libraries online at:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/using-library/opening-hours

𝗔 𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗦 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀...

Across Eastern Europe, the heart of winter festivities falls on 24th December, when families gather for a festive Christmas Eve dinner and exchange symbolic gifts. As seen in Josef Lada’s illustrations, snowy villages, carp sellers, and children carolling are common symbols of this festive time. Our new book display highlights the films, music, stories, imagery, and dishes that give this season its unique character.

One of the region’s most beloved winter classics is "𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢" (𝘛𝘳̌𝘪 𝘰𝘳̌𝘪́𝘴̌𝘬𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘬𝘶, 1973), popular in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. Cinderella emerges as an early feminist figure, shaping her own destiny rather than waiting to be rescued. The film, closely associated with Karel Gott’s iconic song "𝘒𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘬, 𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘵𝘢́𝘤̌𝘬𝘶, 𝘩𝘯𝘪́𝘻𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘢́𝘴̌?" (𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥?), has become synonymous with the season.

Another seasonal favourite is the Soviet film "𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘻𝘬𝘰" (𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵, 1965). Drawing on Russian and Slavic folklore, it tells the story of Nastenka, the greedy Marfusha, the winter spirit Father Frost, and Baba Yaga with her house on chicken legs. The tale contrasts kindness and selfishness, ultimately showing how love and fairness prevail over greed.

Beyond the screen, our book display features Nikolai Gogol's tale "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴", which captures the spirit of a Ukrainian village where the sacred and the supernatural collide, where devils steal the moon and blacksmiths fly through the sky.
Carol singing (𝘬𝘰𝘭𝘦̨𝘥𝘺 in Poland, 𝘬𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘺 in Czechia and Slovakia, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦 in Romania, and 𝘬𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘪 in Croatia) is another shared tradition across Eastern Europe. Groups of singers move from house to house or gather in public spaces to celebrate Christmas and bring blessings to the community.

Tchaikovsky’s "𝘕𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳" transforms Christmas Eve into a world of imagination, following a child’s encounter with a magical nutcracker and a journey through whimsical lands. Its universal themes of wonder, transformation, and celebration have made it the world’s most performed Christmas ballet. UCL students and staff can watch it this Christmas via ‘Academic Video Online’, available in UCL Explore.

Here are some of the most common dishes found across Eastern European tables over the winter holidays, summarised by their popularity and cross-border presence:

𝟭. 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗽 (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary)
It is usually breaded and fried like schnitzel. In many homes, the carp is bought alive and kept in the bathtub for a few days before the feast.

𝟮. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 - 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗶 / 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘆𝗸𝘆 (Poland, Ukraine)
Half-moon dumplings boiled or fried, usually filled with sauerkraut and dried mushrooms, or potato and cheese.

𝟯. 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 - 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗯𝘁𝘀𝗶 / 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶 / 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 / 𝗧𝗼̈𝗹𝘁𝗼̈𝘁𝘁 𝗞𝗮́𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘇𝘁𝗮 (Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Countries of Former Yugoslavia)
Cabbage leaves stuffed with fillings. In strict fasting traditions (Ukraine/Bulgaria/Greece), they are filled with rice, mushrooms, and onions. In others (Romania/Hungary/Former Yugoslav countries), they contain meat and are eaten on Christmas Day.

𝟰. 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗵𝘁 (Poland, Ukraine)
A clear, ruby-red beetroot soup. In Poland, it is served with tiny, ear-shaped mushroom dumplings called uszka.

𝟱. 𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗿𝗮𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗽 (Germany, Slovakia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Slovenia)

𝟲. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗱 (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Countries of Former Yugoslavia)
A heavy, cold salad made with boiled potatoes, root vegetables, pickles, onions, and mayonnaise. It is the standard side dish for the fried carp.

𝟳. 𝗞𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗮 (Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Belarus)
An ancient grain dish made of boiled wheat berries, poppy seeds, honey, and nuts. It is often the very first thing eaten and has deep symbolic meaning regarding life and death.

𝟴. 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 - 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗲𝗰 / 𝗕𝗲𝗷𝗴𝗹𝗶 / 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘃𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗰̌𝗮 / 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮 / 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 / 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘃𝘆́ 𝘇𝗮́𝘃𝗶𝗻 (Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany, Slovakia, Countries of Former Yugoslavia)
A yeast dough rolled up with a dense, sweet filling of ground poppy seeds, raisins, or walnuts. The spiral shape represents the continuity of life.

If you have a favourite festive dish from Eastern Europe, let us know by commenting below. 🎅🌟☃️🎄🥂🥧🥗🍜🥨

Here are our opening hours over the Christmas and New Year break. Please note that after tomorrow the next date for SSEES Library Saturday opening will be Saturday 17th January.

For the opening hours of other UCL libraries, please check https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/using-library/opening-hours