Book Returns
Please drop your books off to us in the library, Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 during term, or 09:30-17:00 during vacation.
Borrowing
To borrow items at the African Studies Library please pop in and see us during our opening hours, Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 during term, or 09:30-17:00 during vacation.
Place requests for scans of chapters or journal articles that are not available electronically and are held solely at the African Studies Library.
Archive Fetching
Email or come in to talk to us about our archive collections. If you know of a specific collection or item that is held in our basement archive, you can also complete a fetching request.
It is advisable to contact us with as much notice as possible before your visit so that we can see how we can best help you.
Please email us: afr@lib.cam.ac.uk with your enquiry.
Please get in touch with us to reserve a seat at least 24 hours in advance of your visit.
You can also complete an online fetching form, providing as much information as possible on the items that you have found as being held in the library, and we can get these prepared for your visit.
CamGuides is designed to help students prepare for their studies in Cambridge, regardless of their subject or college. It focuses on some of the academic and information practices and skills that students commonly engage in, or require, for their degrees.
CamGuides is an open resource, and there's no need for any formal University of Cambridge affiliation to use the sites.
The African Studies Library supports the research and teaching needs of the African Studies MPhil course, and supports the rest of the University in the Undergraduate and Postgraduate study of Africa. Our particular focus is on Africa south of the Sahara.
We are open with loan privileges to all Cambridge University members.
The African Studies Library is situated on the third floor of the Alison Richard Building, within the Centre of African Studies.
Access is step-free from street-level, and there is a lift available to reach the third floor. Doors are wide, although heavy.
There are disabled bathrooms on each floor, and gender-neutral bathrooms on the first to third floors of the building.
Please do email js454@cam.ac.uk, or ring Jenni on 01223 334398 if you would like any further information, or to arrange a tour.
What do we have in our library?
Over 20,000 books
MCS terminal - access your DS account, files, software, and applications
DVD collection of films and documentaries on Africa
African languages material
Study skills material
Electronic legal deposit terminal
A fetching service for a large archive that includes: pamphlets, official publications, personal papers, newspapers, maps, slides, microfiches, microfilms, and photographs
Microfilm reader
Lockers
Extended access to the Library for PhD students with a research focus on Africa on application.
| TERM |
09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday |
| VACATION |
09:30-17:00 Monday to Friday The Library will be closed 11th - 20th April inclusive for staff annual leave. There may be closures to allow staff to take annual leave. These will be announced here. |
| CLOSED |
11th - 20th April 2022 (staff annual leave)Please email afr@lib.cam.ac.uk or js454@cam.ac.uk, if you need help accessing print or online resources. |
Please check here before making your journey!
Open shelf material can be borrowed by all user groups, and will automatically renew if they have not been requested.
Loan periods are set as follows for open shelf material:
| Undergraduates | 7 Days | 8 Books |
| Graduates | 28 Days | 10 Books |
| Staff | 28 Days | 20 Books |
| Visiting Scholars | 14 Days | 10 Books |
The following materials cannot be renewed and have shorter loan periods:
| DVD & Video | 7 DAYS |
| Overnight Loans |
24 Hours Only If borrowing on a Friday, overnight loans will be due Monday. |
Please refer to the Borrowing from Cambridge Libraries LibGuide for advice on your account, fines, borrowing policies, and vacation loans across the Cambridge Libraries:
N.B. We don't operate an end of term recall, or set vacation borrowing.
Overnight loans remain as 24 Hours Only ; please ask us if there is a title that you are interested in borrowing.
There are many other collections in Cambridge that hold relevant material to African Studies. Please check for opening hours and borrowing rights.
Below are some links to various African Studies Centres in the UK and elsewhere. If you are interested in these institutions, we may be able to arrange for you to visit and consult their collections.
Book recommendations welcome!
