Library

Welcome to the Goodenough College Library! The Library in fact comprises two libraries: the Charles Parsons Library in London House, and the Sir Campbell Stuart Library (with attached Canadian Scholars Reading Room) in William Goodenough House. The current College Librarian is Olivia Ho, Goodenough member since September 2022.

The Library's book collection is made (almost) entirely out of book donations from members and alumni. Built haphazardly over the years, the collection in the main libraries has only very recently been organised by Liz Waldman and Rodger Gillan, the 2014-2016 College Librarians, while the organisation of the collection in the library office was completed by Gabrielle Jacobs and Emmy Stavropoulou (College Librarian and Assistant Librarian respectively), during the academic year 2016-2017. Thanks to their gargantuan effort, it is now much easier to look for a particular work of fiction, biography, or travel guide - among the many books we offer. To learn more about the Library's history, please click here.

As of late 2023 we have become the caretakers of the Sybil Campbell Collection, which was established in 1928 at Crosby Hall, then an international hall of residence for women scholars from around the world. Some of the materials were donated by significant figures of the 1920s and 1930s, including Leonard and Virginia Woolf, Alys and Bertrand Russell, Lytton Strachey, John Galsworthy, Beatrice Webb and many more. The collection is kept in the librarian's office and open to viewing by appointment.

In general, the book collection is focused mainly on works of fiction and history. Because the students of the College already have access to academic libraries through their universities, and because of the limited space, we have made a deliberate decision to have as few textbooks as possible. This is evidently appreciated by College Members if you have a glance at the library's borrowing record!

The book borrowing system is old-fashioned and trust-based: when taking out a book, write the title, author, your name, room number, and the date. You can keep the book for as long as you want - but you must remember to return it when you no longer need it, or when you leave the college! Last but not least, if you find yourself away from the library but still want to get an idea of the books we have, please select 'Documents' from the menu above, then click on 'Library Catalogue' and download the excel document it contains. You will find our books categorised by genre, then listed alphabetically by title. (This catalogue was last updated in 2021 and many books have since newly arrived or been donated. For help locating a particular book, please contact the librarian at library@goodenough.ac.uk.)

To help you stay up to date with all the recent acquisitions and gems to be found in the collection, follow us on Instagram at @goodenoughlibrary.