Library locations and opening hours
Finding us
The Morrell, Fairhurst and Burton are currently 8am until midnight, seven days a week. Our other Library at King's Manor is currently open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and from Saturday October 2 it will be open 11am - 5pm on Saturdays during term time. The York Minster Library is currently open by appointment only (see below for booking details).
For information about bookable study spaces within the library buildings and elsewhere, please see:
For information about our resources and collections, including where to find them, please see:
For information about the food and drink, please see:
Morrell
About the JB Morrell Library
JB Morrell Library opening hours
The library is open 8am until midnight, seven days a week.
Floor plans
View the location of subject resources, study areas, PCs and other facilities:
, 801kb)The Library houses collections to support your study and research in all subject areas.
The resources we provide include:
- More than 1 million print books
- Print journals
- Electronic journals and books
- Databases which index thousands more journals
- DVDs, videos, CDs and tapes
- Music scores, maps, theses by York students and other specialist resources
- Collections of rare and valuable items
The Library Cafe is located in the JB Morrell Library, near the entrance.
About John Bowes Morrell
The Library is named after John Bowes Morrell, a former Lord Mayor of York and a leading figure in the local movement to establish a university in York.
Fairhurst
About the Harry Fairhurst Building
About Harry Fairhurst
Harry Fairhurst was the first librarian at the University of York.
He was the fourth person to be employed by the University and began work before the Library had actually been built.
The building offers a welcoming and stimulating environment for learning and research and provides socially-distanced study spaces across three floors.
Find out more about studying in the Harry Fairhurst Building:
These areas include easy access to power sockets and there is wifi throughout the building.
Fairhurst Kitchen in LFA/124 on the first floor has a sink, microwave, filtered cold water and hot water dispenser for drink and food preparation. Please note the housekeeping rules along with instructions for using the microwave oven.
Shower room on the first floor, available for all to use.
To access the Harry Fairhurst Building, enter through the JB Morrell Library and continue left through the link corridor.
Books can be taken into the Fairhurst Building from the Library without the need to check them out.
Floor plans
View the location of subject resources, study areas, PCs and other facilities:
Study skills help
The Harry Fairhurst is home to the Writing Centre and the Maths Skills Centre.
Burton
About the Raymond Burton Library for Humanities Research
Collections housed in the Raymond Burton Library include:
- the Elton collection of history books
- the Humanities Research reference collection
All the material in this library is for reference use only.
Access the Raymond Burton Library via the JB Morrell Library - enter through the main doors and turn right.
Floor plans
View the location of subject resources, study areas, PCs and other facilities:
Studying in the Raymond Burton Library
The Reading Room provides an attractive and conducive working environment.
For more information on study areas in the Raymond Burton Library, see:
About Raymond Burton
Raymond Burton was a businessman and philanthropist, and an active supporter of the University.
The Raymond Burton Library was officially opened in September 2003 and was jointly funded by the University and a generous benefaction from the Raymond Burton Charitable Trust.
Raymond Burton joked that he needed the Library to house his own extensive collection of books, playbills and manuscripts relating to Yorkshire.
King's Manor
About the King's Manor Library
King’s Manor Library is now open for study space and to browse the collections. You will need to book a study space in advance.
The King's Manor Library houses collections relating to:
- architecture and building planning (including building conservation and heritage management)
- gardening and landscape design
- heritage management
- stained glass.
It also has smaller collections on the medieval period, archaeology and the "long" 18th century, plus a collection of slides covering medieval art and architecture (especially stained glass).
Kings Manor Library Floor Plan:
Book delivery service
You can request items from the JB Morrell Library to be delivered to the King's Manor Library (and vice versa) via our book delivery service.
You can return flexible loan books from the JB Morrell Library to the King's Manor Library and vice versa. You can also return books from York Minster Library to the King’s Manor Library.
King's Manor bookdrop
About the King's Manor
A Grade I listed building, the King's Manor has played host to royalty - Henry VIII, Charles I and James I have all stayed there.
The building was surrendered as headquarters of the Council in the North following the English Civil War (1642 to 1651). Since then it has been used as residential apartments, as the Yorkshire School for the Blind and by York City Council before being leased to the University of York in 1963.
It is currently home to the Department of Archaeology, the Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Centre for Medieval Studies.
Read more about the King’s Manor or see our timeline for an overview of the Manor’s history.
When the King's Manor Library is closed, but the building is open, it is possible to return items via the bookdrop.
The bookdrop is the large brass letter box, located in the door to the right of the Library entrance.
Items returned via the bookdrop will be returned from your account when the Library next opens.
Study space
King’s Manor Library is a quiet zone on both floors, providing desks for individual study. The main entrance to the Library is on the first floor with a spiral staircase leading to additional study space on the ground floor.
For those with mobility issues an entrance is available on the ground floor. Please enquire at the King's Manor reception desk for access.
Photocopying, printing and scanning
There is a York Print Plus multifunction device available for printing, copying and scanning. You can top up your printing account online or with cash (up to £5) at the King's Manor Library Help Desk.
Contact us
- Use Library chat
- Email us via LibAnswers
- Tel: +44 (0)1904 323969
- Address: King's Manor Library, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EP
York Minster
York Minster Library and Archives
The Minster Library and Archives provides access to printed books, manuscripts and records of the Chapter of York that spans 1000 years of history.
The main subject coverage of the books in the Library is:
- York and Yorkshire history (including local histories, literature, theatre, newspapers and printing in York)
- art and architecture (particularly ecclesiastical, and especially stained glass)
- history (particularly ecclesiastical)
- religious literature and biographies (all periods)
- theology (all periods)
York Minster Library is located in the Old Palace, based in Dean's Park on the north side of York Minster. You can visit us with a prior appointment to see rare books and archives, and have items from our loan collection delivered to the University for collection.
We are offering:
- A limited number of research appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only to view material from the library and archives: please do not visit without an appointment
- A book delivery service for University of York staff and students* to enable collection and return at J.B. Morrell and Kings Manor libraries
- Items held at York Minster Library can be requested for Postal Loans via the campus Book Takeaway service
- Photography and/or scanning of material – subject to staff resources and cost - if you are unable to visit
*Non-University library members will be able to arrange returns and loan collection by email.
Appointments: key information
- Mondays - Afternoon session only: 2.5 hours between 13.30 and 16.00
- Tuesdays - Morning session: 2.5 hours between 10.00 and 12.30 and/or Afternoon session: 2.5 hours between 13.30 and 16.00
- Wednesdays - Morning session: 2.5 hours between 10.00 and 12.30 and/or Afternoon session: 2.5 hours between 13.30 and 16.00
- There will be a limit of 3 supervised appointments in the Reading Room per session
- You can request a research session by using our online booking request form*
- You will receive an automated response initially, and staff will confirm your booking by email within two working days (please do not visit before receiving this confirmation from staff)
- You should limit your requests to 6 items per session (i.e. up to 12 items if you have booked two appointments)
*note: to open the link on some mobile and electronic devices, the user must open it in a private/incognito tab: this is usually done by holding down on the link until the options menu for opening appears
History of York Minster Library
Following a bequest of some 35 volumes in 1414, the Minster's book collection has grown through the centuries thanks both to new benefactions and active collecting.
By 1810 it had grown so much that new premises were needed, and the Library moved to the restored chapel of the former archbishop's palace, to the north of the Minster (The Old Palace).
In the building
For the health and safety of staff and visitors:
- You are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering on entering the building and during your visit, and to keep your distance from others
- Library and archives staff will continue to wear face coverings and socially distance
- You may be asked to check-in with NHS Test and Trace or provide contact details
- There will still be a limit on the number of people permitted in the Reading Room during our appointment sessions
- Windows will be opened in the Reading Room for ventilation: make sure you wear appropriate clothing if the weather is cool
Other service information
- University of York staff and students may borrow without charge from the Minster Library
- You can return Minster Library items to the main University or King's Manor libraries
- Members of the public can borrow books from the Minster Library for an annual fee of £30
- Two wifi networks are available in the Reading Room: Eduroam which can be used by members of participating universities (including University of York) and CityConnect which is available to all
- Photocopying is currently suspended but self-service photography is permitted (charges will apply)
Any questions?
- You can always contact us directly at collections@yorkminster.org or via the University library lib-enquiry@york.ac.uk.
- Interested in visiting York Minster? Current guidelines for visiting can be found on their webpage.
Borthwick Institute
About the Borthwick Institute for Archives
William Borthwick
The Borthwick Institute for Archives was so named because the Trustees under the will of the late William Borthwick of Bridlington agreed to use his large legacy as an endowment for the new Institute in 1953.
The Borthwick Institute's collection includes archives from around the world, from the 12th century to the present day.
They also provide access to the Library's Rare Books Collection of rare and valuable items.
Visiting the Borthwick Institute for Archives
The Borthwick Institute is accessed via the JB Morrell Library. For more information, including opening hours and booking details, please see
Library@Piazza
About the Library@Piazza
Library@Piazza opening hours
The Library@Piazza is currently open from 9am to 10pm daily. You will need to book a study space in advance.
The new Piazza Library, located on Campus East in the Piazza Learning Centre is a learning space containing approximately 50 seats. The Piazza Learning Centre also houses a range of high-quality learning spaces including:
- A 350-seat auditorium
- A large flat-floor learning space, available for student activities and societies
- A 350-seat restaurant with fantastic lake-views
- The administrative and teaching home for the new International Pathway College