Finding us
The Morrell, Fairhurst and Burton are currently open 8am until midnight, seven days a week.
The Library at King's Manor is currently open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday and 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:
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:
The Library houses collections to support your study and research in all subject areas.
The resources we provide include:
The Postrgraduate Study Room is located in LMO/111 in the JB Morrell Library.
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.
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, filtered cold water and hot water dispenser for drink and food preparation. The microwave is now available again. Please note the housekeeping rules, thank you!
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:
The Harry Fairhurst is home to the Writing Centre and the Maths Skills Centre.
Collections housed in the Raymond Burton Library include:
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:
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 Library is open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday, and 11am - 5pm on Saturdays.
The King's Manor Library houses collections relating to:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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:
*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).
For the health and safety of staff and visitors:
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.
The Borthwick Institute is accessed via the JB Morrell Library. For more information, including opening hours and booking details, please see
Library@Piazza opening hours
The Library@Piazza is currently open from 9am to 10pm daily.
The 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: