Editing Cambridge University Library (section)

{{short description|Main research and legal deposit library of the University of Cambridge}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox library
| library_name       = Cambridge University Library
| name_en            =
| library_logo       =
| image              = Main UL building.jpg
| caption            = Cambridge University Library
| country            = [[England]]
| type               = [[Academic library]]
| scope              =
| established        = Before 1416
| ref_legal_mandate  =
| location           = [[West Road, Cambridge]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|12|18.6|N|0|6|29|E|scale:1000|display=inline,title}}
| branch_of          =
| num_branches       =
| items_collected    = {{Flatlist|
* [[book]]s
* [[Academic journal|journals]]
* [[newspaper]]s
* [[magazine]]s
* [[Sound recording|sound and music recordings]]
* [[map]]s, [[Printmaking|prints]]
* [[drawing]]s
* [[manuscript]]s
}}
| collection_size    = 9,000,000 items (approx.) 
| criteria           =
| legal_deposit      = Yes
| req_to_access      =
| annual_circulation =
| pop_served         = University of Cambridge, and others
| members            = University of Cambridge (and some other groups on application)
| budget             =
| director           = [[Jessica Gardner]]
| num_employees      =
| website            = {{URL|www.lib.cam.ac.uk}}
}}

'''Cambridge University Library'''  is the main research library of the [[University of Cambridge]]. It is the largest of over 100 libraries [[Libraries of the University of Cambridge|within the university]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Facilities and resources {{!}} Undergraduate Study|url = http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/facilities-and-resources|website = www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk|access-date = 9 July 2015}}</ref> The library is a major scholarly resource for members of the University of Cambridge and external researchers. It is often referred to within the university as the UL.<ref>For example, the Twitter account is [https://twitter.com/theul the UL]</ref> Thirty-three [[Libraries of the University of Cambridge#Affiliated Libraries|faculty and departmental libraries]] are associated with the University Library for the purpose of central governance and administration, forming "Cambridge University Libraries".

Cambridge University Library is one of six [[legal deposit]] libraries under UK law.<ref name="Introduction to legal deposit">{{cite web|title=Introduction to legal deposit|url=http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/legaldeposit/introduction/|publisher=British Library|access-date=17 March 2014}}</ref> It holds about 9 million items (including maps and sheet music) and, through legal deposit, purchase and donation it receives around 100,000 items every year. The University Library is unique among the legal deposit libraries in keeping a large proportion of its material on open access and in allowing some categories of reader to borrow from its collections.

Its original location was the [[Old Schools]] near the [[Senate House (University of Cambridge)|Senate House]] until it outgrew the space there. A new library building was constructed in the 1930s. The library took over the site of a former military hospital on the western side of [[Cambridge]] city centre, now between [[Robinson College, Cambridge|Robinson College]] and the Memorial Court of [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare College]]. The current building, designed by [[Giles Gilbert Scott]], opened in 1934. The librarian, [[Jessica Gardner]], is the second woman to hold this office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-welcomes-dr-jessica-gardner-new-university-librarian|title=Cambridge welcomes Dr Jessica Gardner as new University Librarian|first=Francesca|last=Harper|date=9 December 2016|website=www.lib.cam.ac.uk}}</ref>