Image of Students studying in the Library

Library resources

As well as access to thousands of books, journals, films, and music the library offers a quiet, comfortable place to study alone or in a group.

Library collections

Items available in the Quincentenary Library can be found on the Collections page and include:

  • Most undergraduate texts and many postgraduate texts
  • Electronic access to books, journals, and databases
  • A large DVD collection
  • Anatomical models
  • Light reading books (visit LibraryThing and click on 'Your library' then choose 'All collections') including a wide selection of fiction and everything from cookery books to bicycle maintenance
  • Games and jigsaws to borrow
  • A selection of local OS maps to borrow for walking or cycling around Cambridgeshire.

You can explore the library catalogue via Cambridge Libraries. Refine your search to just items held in our library by restricting the location to ‘Jesus College’.

Other library resources

As well as the materials above the library offers:

  • Many different places to sit and work in a quiet, pleasant environment, including standing desks, beanbags, group study rooms, and a quiet study room
  • Access to resources 24 hours a day and seven days a week
  • Wireless and cable internet access, computers and printers in the Kwok Computer Room
  • A stationery corner containing items such as staplers, hole punches, sellotape, calculators, and scissors
  • Use of equipment such as drawing boards, a photocopier, and a comb binder.

If you are a PhD student at Jesus and would like to work as a Library Invigilator then please contact the library staff. We recruit mainly in the late summer but we also welcome enquiries throughout the year.

If you would like us to buy a book for you then please email us.

If you have any other questions, please contact the library team either by dropping in to the library office or emailing us.

University resources

In addition to the resources available at Cambridge University Library and the Faculty and Departmental libraries, the University provides some general library help.

Wellbeing and leisure resources

The library has a Personal Welfare section in the building at classmark PYW. These books cover topics ranging from study help to personal welfare and may be browsed and borrowed as normal. We welcome suggestions to improve and expand this section.

You may also be interested in the following:

During Easter term the library has a collection of relaxation aids that are left out in the Garden Room, including colouring books, origami, jigsaws, and puzzles.

Hear from our students