Special Collections

Building works - 2012

If you are planning to come to Durham to consult our collections, please read the following carefully and contact us if you need any assistance.

October 2012

The Archives and Special Collections search room will be open at 5 The College (in the Cathedral precinct) Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Most of our most heavily-used archive collections will be housed there along with our rare books and the modern printed books in Local, History of the Book and PG Ref. Owing to the complexities of moving around 5,000 metres of material it is essential that you contact us well in advance on 0191 3342972 or pg.library@durham.ac.uk in order to avoid delays in gaining access to this research material.
The collections will be returned to Palace Green Library in the winter of 2013 and then the newly refurbished Barker Reading Room will open in the Pace Building providing access to Archives and Special Collections material in an upgraded research library.
Please keep checking the website for details.
This only affects the Palace Green site and not 5 The College. The exhibitions at Palace Green Library will remain open as normal.

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Two of the University Library's special collections were awarded Designated status in 2005 in the first round of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council Designation Scheme.

The map shows two possible routes between Palace Green Library and 5 The College. One goes through Durham Cathedral, the cloisters and into the College. The other shows the suggested route around via Duncow Lane.