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theul.bsky.social
Cambridge University Library
@theul.bsky.social
4.1K followers 140 following 540 posts
Cambridge University Library
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camlibresearch.bsky.social
I knew we had Hrabanus Maurus manuscripts that looked like this @theul.bsky.social, but no idea we had this equally amazing printed edition of 1503 highlighted by @liamsims.bsky.social. Gosh. Completely wonderful.
liamsims.bsky.social Dr Liam Sims @liamsims.bsky.social · 16h
The Frankish monk Rabanus Maurus died #OTD in 856. His ‘De laudibus sanctae crucis’ (a series of poems on the cross) involves complex imagery, the letters within it making new texts. Here’s the first printed edition of the text, produced at Pforzheim in 1503. @theulspeccoll.bsky.social Tb.51.57.
February 4, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
shakenbeck.bsky.social
Yesterday I arranged a trip to the Cairo Geniza unit with students. The earliest dated copy of the Hebrew bible, next to a shopping list of the Chief Rabbi (lemon chicken and molokhia), and at the other end of the table a letter from merchants in India. Such wonderful collection! @theul.bsky.social
The curator Benjamin Outhwaite stands at the end of a long table that is covered in manuscripts. He holds up a letter of Jewish merchants from India. Bible from Iran Two leaves from a small codex of the Hebrew Bible, written in an Abbasid style horizontal format. It was written in 903-4 in Gunbad-i-Mallgān. It is the earliest dated copy of the Hebrew Bible. TS NS 246.26.2
February 5, 2026 at 8:27 AM
theul.bsky.social
Beautiful 19th-century Indian mica paintings from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, Southern India.

Mica is a thin, transparent mineral with a glass-like surface. Pictured here are a Hujam, a barber, and his wife (1869).

See the full set in the Cambridge Digital Library: https://loom.ly/V9BSC5I
February 5, 2026 at 10:01 AM
theul.bsky.social
#OnThisDay in 1555, John Rogers became the first of many Protestants burned at the stake during the reign of Mary I.

Born in 1500, Rogers was the editor of this English translation of the Bible published in 1537 under the pseudonym Thomas Matthew (BSS.201.B37.5).
Title page from 'The Byble : which is all the holy Scripture : in whych are contayned the Olde and Newe Testament', published in 1537. We see a block of central text, surrounded by biblical scenes.
February 4, 2026 at 3:06 PM
theul.bsky.social
🌐 Two upcoming events will share the findings of the AI for Cultural Heritage Hub (ArCH) project.
ArCH has created a prototype workspace designed to analyse cultural heritage data securely using AI tools.
To book: https://loom.ly/aykS0B4
Funded by @ai.cam.ac.uk
February 4, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
Cambridge University @theul.bsky.social now provides direct access to The Economist (from 1997 to present) myaccount.economist.com/s/institutio...
More information here ejournalscambridge.wordpress.com/2026/01/30/n...
February 2, 2026 at 1:09 PM
theul.bsky.social
What's new from your libraries this term?

Read the Lent Term update from your libraries here: https://loom.ly/8CKqyJs

#CambridgeUniversityLibrary
An image of a student working in a library. They are wearing headphones. Overlaid with the text: "What's new at your libraries this term?"
February 2, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
lukeoakes.bsky.social
Saw this on the Tube this morning. Today marks 40 years of Poems on the Underground. You can see the archive @theul.bsky.social.
Poems on the Underground poster showing the following text: Epitaph on a Tyrant W. H. Auden Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after, And the poetry he invented was easy to understand; He knew human folly like the back of his hand, And was greatly interested in armies and fleets; When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter, And when he cried the little children died in the streets.
January 29, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
yanhecul.bsky.social
Today I discovered a 1903 brochure promoting the UL’s Chinese collection. It bears the names Professor Wade and Giles, the first two Chinese professors and honorary curators, whose selfless efforts built and preserved our collection, reminding me why safeguarding books matters. @theul.bsky.social
January 30, 2026 at 8:42 PM
theul.bsky.social
Me, at the end of January.

Picture is from a Dutch edition of the ‘Cordiale quattuor novissimorum’ (1484) on death and the final journey of the soul, ascribed to Dionysius Carthusiensis & Gerardus de Vliederhoven (Inc.5.E.11.1[3124]).

📷 by @liamsims.bsky.social
A black-and-white, fifteenth-century woodcut illustration of a gaunt, skeletal human figure standing upright, ribs and bones clearly visible. The figure is partially draped in loose cloth around the waist and legs, with one hand raised near the chest. The image is framed by a simple rectangular border on aged, textured paper.
January 30, 2026 at 9:04 AM
theul.bsky.social
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Poems on the Underground!

The archive of this beloved literary project was donated to Cambridge University Library in 2024.

The Poems on the Underground collection has been catalogued and is available for consultation.

Find out more: https://loom.ly/CkKUpV4
Close-up of hands holding a small booklet titled “London: Poems on the Underground,” featuring a black line illustration of a domed landmark on the cover, with a blurred indoor background and a card with blue flowers resting on the table below.
January 29, 2026 at 9:04 AM
theul.bsky.social
📚 Some of our most historic collections for #LibraryShelfieDay!

⭐This part of our collection is known as the ‘Stars’, from the paper asterisks stuck on their spines. It contains the contents of the Library as it stood in 1714.

Photo by @liamsims.bsky.social
A photograph of a library. We look down the middle of two bookcases of old books with leather bindings. White metal library shelves full of old leather-bound books.
January 28, 2026 at 3:06 PM
theul.bsky.social
✍️ Need help with your academic writing?

Support sessions with our Royal Literary Fund Fellow, Alexander Masters, are available for all current Cambridge University students and staff.

To book, email [email protected].

Manuscript image: MS Gg.1.1
Medieval illustration of a haloed figure seated and writing at a lectern against a blue, star-dotted background, with an angel hovering nearby and gesturing. Overlaid text reads, “Struggling with your academic writing?”
January 28, 2026 at 1:04 PM
theul.bsky.social
#HolocaustMemorialDay.

Today, our Music department encourages us to remember the musicians forced into Terezín concentration camp. Captive Jewish composers produced and performed powerful work that has endured, ensuring the responsibility of remembrance doesn’t end with the survivors.
January 27, 2026 at 3:42 PM
theul.bsky.social
The January choice for our Really Popular Book Club is Katabasis by R. F. Kuang.

Join us tomorrow to discuss the book with Dr Tabitha Stanmore (@magicnotwitches.bsky.social)

📅TUES 27 JAN 2026
⏰7PM to 8PM
🎟️ Free, online and open to all: https://loom.ly/TBY0WOg
Bright pink promotional poster for an online book club event. On the left is the book cover of Katabasis by R. F. Kuang, featuring black, white, and gold artwork with staircases. Large yellow text on the right reads “the really popular book club,” with “Hosted by Cambridge University Libraries” beneath it. A vertical yellow banner says “BOOK CLUB.” Text on the left reads, “Join us online on 27 January, 7pm to 8pm!” On the lower right is a portrait of Dr Tabitha Stanmore with her name written below.
January 26, 2026 at 10:01 AM
theul.bsky.social
Crime fiction is by far the UK’s most read, bought and borrowed genre of fiction.

Not sure which fictional sleuth to try next? Kick off your #NationalYearOfReading2026 by checking our reading list of crime classics, featuring some defining books from the genre: https://loom.ly/i_2u-Tk.
A photograph of a green penguin crime book from 1949. The book is 'The Seven Dials Mystery' by Agatha Christie.
January 23, 2026 at 2:07 PM
theul.bsky.social
Today marks 125 years since the death of Queen Victoria.

Victoria died at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, on 22 January 1901. This fascinating selection of press clippings shows the reaction across Europe.

British Colonial & Foreign Press Cutting Agency (Syn.2.90.7-8).
A French newspaper clipping reporting the death of Queen Victoria. We see a drawing of Victoria in her later years and the headline: "Mort de la Reine D'Angleterre". A Swedish newspaper clipping reporting the death of Queen Victoria. We see a drawing of Victoria in her later years and the headline: "Drottning Victoria". A Portuguese newspaper clipping reporting the death of Queen Victoria. We see a drawing of Victoria in her later years, surrounded by smaller pictures of her younger years. A Greek newspaper clipping reporting the death of Queen Victoria. We see a drawing of Victoria in her younger and later years, and the music for a song.
January 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
ebookscamb.bsky.social
We are pleased to announce @theul.bsky.social
has purchased two further 2026 ebook collections; University of Chicago Press and University of Pennsylvania Press. Please read this blogpost for more details, ebookscambridge.wordpress.com/2026/01/21/c...
Selection of book jackets for new University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania titles.
January 21, 2026 at 12:56 PM
theul.bsky.social
We’ve got millions of books at Cambridge University Library. 📚

Not sure how to find what you're looking for? This video will get you started: https://loom.ly/c5qjW7U
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January 21, 2026 at 9:57 AM
theul.bsky.social
New year, new term – what's new from Cambridge University Libraries?

Read the Lent Term update from your libraries here: https://loom.ly/8CKqyJs

#CambridgeUniversityLibrary
A photograph of a student sitting in a comfortable chair reading a book. They are in a library, and behind them are shelves full of books.
January 20, 2026 at 9:04 AM
theul.bsky.social
We’re exploring ways to preserve the heritage of our building, reduce its environmental footprint, and keep it at the forefront of academic research.

This January, join the conversation by visiting one of our exhibitions or talks, held across Cambridge.

https://loom.ly/fSvTWXs
A long, symmetrical library corridor with book stacks along both walls, round ceiling lights overhead, and small tables stacked with books in the centre aisle, as two people walk toward ornate doors at the far end.
January 19, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
drfrancisyoung.bsky.social
Perhaps the weirdest item in @theul.bsky.social's catalogue, which is not in fact a book but an actual boot from 17th-century Lithuania (it's a long story...)
January 18, 2026 at 10:51 AM
theul.bsky.social
Applications are open for the Munby Fellowship 2026-27 📚
An opportunity to spend a year conducting bibliographical research based on the world-class collections of Cambridge.
⏰Closing date: 1 Feb 2026
More information on applying: https://loom.ly/stSFkzg
January 19, 2026 at 10:04 AM
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jillwhitelock.bsky.social
Seventeenth-century squirrel, looks like it’s eating a little nut. On an embroidered binding from a 1641 psalter, SSS.34.27 @theul.bsky.social.
#AlphabetChallenge #WeekBforBooks 📷 #photography
A squirrel on an old embroidered book binding.
January 18, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Cambridge University Library
cam.ac.uk
Not all telephone boxes are for phone calls 📞

This fully-refurbished K6 (Kiosk No. 6) telephone box at @theul.bsky.social has been repurposed as a book drop for returning loans 📚

📸 Lloyd Mann
A traditional red telephone booth stands in the foreground with the tall, rectangular tower of Cambridge University Library visible in the background under a clear sky.
January 18, 2026 at 5:18 PM