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Monday 9am - 8:45pm Tuesday 9am - 8:45pm Wednesday 9am - 8:45pm Thursday 9am - 8:45pm Friday 9am - 6:15pm

Senate House Library

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We are the University of London's central library and the home library for the School of Advanced Study.
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Senate House Library is a world-class academic research Library, located in Bloomsbury, Central London. It is the central library for the University of London and the School of Advanced Study. The library houses and cares for more than 2 million books and 1,200 archival collections, it is one of the UK’s largest academic libraries focused on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It holds a wealth of primary source material from the medieval period to the modern age. As well as being a research and academic library it holds regular exhibitions and events open to the public.

16/10/2026

The Sterling Library at Senate House Library is home to a remarkable collection of first and fine editions of English literature.

Yesterday, we welcomed Sir Louis Sterling’s great-grandniece, visiting from the United States with her son, to explore some of her great-great-uncle’s treasures.

From much-loved items in the collection to personal Sterling memorabilia and later acquisitions made possible by his generosity, it was a special opportunity to celebrate the lasting legacy of one of our most significant benefactors. 📚

14/10/2026

🐻 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh!

Today marks the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, celebrating 100 years of one of England’s most beloved bears.

To mark the occasion, we’re looking at two unexpected treasures in Senate House Library’s collections.

📚 The first is a first edition of Winnie-the-Pooh, gifted to the Library by Sir Louis Sterling in October 1956.

🐝 The second takes a rather different view of the bear. Winnie-the-Pooh: Capitalist Lackey? is a satirical pamphlet by Simon Culverson, a three-page private press production printed in just 30 copies in 1976.

From a much-loved children’s classic to a playful piece of political satire, these items show the many ways Winnie-the-Pooh has captured the imagination over the past century.

09/10/2026

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the first edition of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift’s satirical novel recounting Lemuel Gulliver’s voyages to strange and fantastical lands inhabited by small people, giants, floating islands, and sentient horses.

To celebrate the publication of this influential book, visit a display of imaginary voyages from the 17th to the 20th centuries in SHL’s Membership Hall unitl 31 October during staffed opening hours.

02/10/2026

Join us this October as we celebrate Black History Month! This year’s theme ‘Honouring Our Communities’ shifts our focus to the Black individuals whose everyday contributions continue to shape Black British history and communities.

Throughout this month, our special book display in the Catalogue Hall showcases a range of voices and stories in Black British history, from Windrush and migration to literature, activism, community histories and the lives of people who have transformed our society.

All books on display can be borrowed by SHL members. Come and take a look next time you visit the Library!

01/10/2026

First published in 1959, James Courage’s A Way of Love is returning to print 67 years later, thanks to Lurid Editions.

The novel’s journey has been shaped by censorship, exclusion and rediscovery. Set in 1950s London, it follows two men attempting to build a life together at a time when s*x between men remained criminalised.

Senate House Library holds important traces of this history, from its first edition of A Way of Love and material relating to Courage’s censored play Private History, to the Haud Nominandum Collection, the LGBTQ+ library assembled by Jonathan Cutbill, co-founder of Gay’s the Word.

As the Library’s We Go On! project continues to catalogue the Haud Nominandum Collection, further works by Courage are emerging — another chapter in the story of how q***r literature is written, published, read and preserved.

Read the full story at the link in our bio!

23/09/2026

Ni calco ni copia = Neither calque nor copy

Join us for the inauguration of Lizi Sánchez’s 2026 residency exhibition at Senate House Library.

On 7 October, we will celebrate the opening of Sánchez’s site-specific installation, created in response to the Latin American Political Pamphlets Collection.

The inauguration will include a guided viewing with Sánchez, followed by a conversation between the artist and Alberto Rios, Tate Modern & Delfina Foundation Brooks Fellow 2026. The conversation will centre on Sánchez’s practice, exploring how the collection, with its histories of solidarity and resistance, shaped the process behind this new body of work.

The event offers an opportunity to see the installation, hear directly from the artist, and discover more about the spaces of Senate House Library.

7 October 2026
Senate House Library, University of London
Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU
Artist conversation: 1.00 pm

The exhibition will remain on view until 31 October 2026, Monday to Friday, 10.00 am–5.00 pm.

For appointments and guided visits, please contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]

22/09/2026

Senate House Library and the Friends of Senate House Library are delighted to report that the Visiting Research Fellowships programme is open for applications for 2026/7.

The Library invites applications for Visiting Research Fellowships to make use of the Library’s world-class collections.

In 2026-7 awards of £1500 will be allocated to support a fellowship of up to two weeks.

The deadline to apply is 12th October 2026.

Link in bio for more details!

15/09/2026

What happens when thousands of archival traces come together to tell interconnected stories of solidarity and resistance?

Artist in Residence Lizi Sanchez has been exploring Senate House Library’s Latin American Political Pamphlets Collection — almost 4,000 documents reflecting histories from across Latin America during the Cold War.

For the final stage of her residency, Sánchez has created a site-specific installation comprising two floor-to-ceiling drawings made on carbon-copy paper. Lines traced from drawings, illustrations and texts found throughout the archive accumulate and intertwine, creating a constellation of connected histories across the continent.

Suspended across two opposing windows of the Sterling Library, home to our Special Collections, the drawings hang like blinds, filtering natural light into the space.

📅 7–31 October 2026
📍 Senate House, University of London
Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU

During the exhibition, Sánchez will also lead a series of guided visits, offering the chance to hear more about the work and her creative process, while exploring Senate House Library’s building, reading rooms and areas normally closed to the public.

🕙 Open Monday–Friday, 10:00–17:00

For appointments and guided visits, contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]

13/09/2026

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Senate House Library tour at Open House 2026 this weekend!

We loved meeting everyone and hope to see you again soon 📚🏢

11/09/2026

This week Dr Karen Attar from Senate House Library and Dr Michael Durrant from the Institute of English Studies, SAS delivered a lecture on Caxton and the lasting impact of the printing press at St Margaret’s Church beside Westminster Abbey.

Together they explored how Caxton brought printing to England, its commercial potential, and how the technology transformed the spread of news, academic knowledge and ideas.

Around 120 people attended the talk, with many staying afterwards to continue the conversation and ask questions.

The lecture followed the success of the Senate House Library exhibition The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond, curated by Dr Attar and Dr Durrant.

Address

Senate House Malet Street
London
WC1E7HU

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8:45pm
Tuesday	9am - 8:45pm
Wednesday	9am - 8:45pm
Thursday	9am - 8:45pm
Friday	9am - 6:15pm

Website

http://London.ac.uk/senate-house-library

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