Frequently Asked Questions

Can students from any department borrow from the Seeley?

All Cambridge University members who can find a use for the Seeley collection are welcome to use the Library. Everybody has the same borrowing rights, but you might need to register at the Reference Desk before you can take any books out.

How many books can I take out?

6 books can be borrowed for 7 days. Books automatically renew unless they are requested by another library user

How do I buy printer credit?

We have computers and a printer at the Seeley, but you will need to buy printer credit to use them. This can be bought through following the instructions on the University Information Services (UIS website)

When are you open?

During term time we have the following opening hours (please not borrowing ends 15 minutes before closure):

Monday-Friday: 9:00 - 19:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 18:00
Sunday: 13:00 - 17:00

Out of term we have the following opening hours:

Monday-Friday: 9:00 - 17:00
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

What dissertations do you have?

We hold a substantial back catalogue of POLIS and History MPhil dissertations until 2019 which can be viewed in the Seeley Library. They can be searched in the library catalogue, iDiscover, by title and author. We also have award-winning undergraduate history dissertations

How do the classmarks work?

For the Library of Congress classmarks (starting with letters) you simply need to run through the characters alphabetically. For example:

DS5.95 .A85 2004

Start by looking for D and then follow the shelf from DA through to DS. Here you will need to search for the number 5.95 in order to complete the subject part of your classmark. Within the DS5.95 subject you will then need to trace the remaining letters and numbers before searching for the edition you require (2004 in this example).