Life at Merton: Facilities - Libraries
Merton College has three library sites: the Old Warden’s Lodgings (OWL Library), Mob Lower Library and our historic Upper Library. Both OWL Library and Mob Lower Library are open to students daily, 7.30am–2am. Access to our beautiful historic Upper Library, which houses our collection of early printed books, is by appointment only. For more information about this library space please see our Historic Library page.
Library staff work hard to keep the library collections up-to-date, with an emphasis on main texts for undergraduates and taught postgraduate courses. All members of College are encouraged to suggest books for purchase, and staff are happy to help locate useful resources in print or digital formats and to provide access and assistance with the use of archives, manuscripts and special collections.
In addition to the main collection of academic material, the library has smaller collections for lighter reading and student interest: recently-published prize-winning books, an Equality and Diversity collection containing non-academic works on gender, sexuality, disability, race and religion, and books on academic skills and welfare issues.
Both OWL Library and Mob Lower Library offer free photocopying, printing and scanning facilities, as well as computer rooms and Wi-Fi. Our library staff also work closely with students with disabilities to ensure that they can make full use of the materials they need. A range of equipment is available to assist with working in the libraries including coloured sheet overlays, reading rules, magnification equipment, whiteboards, a portable hearing loop, height-adjustable desks and lumbar support cushions.
More information about Merton’s libraries can be found on the Library & Archives section of the website.
OWL Library
Old Warden’s Lodgings [OWL] Library is our largest library space. Formerly the Warden’s Lodgings, it is an impressive Edwardian building that retains domestic features, such as the original fireplaces and window seats. This makes for a welcoming and pleasant study environment, where every room is unique. It houses the majority of our modern books, a variety of print journals and a small DVD collection.
Mob Library
Mob Lower Library is our smaller library space. It is a ground-floor space, located in our oldest quad with views over Chestnut Lawn. It houses many reference books, some subject collections not housed in OWL including Music, Theology and Art & Architecture, as well as our Prize-Winning Books, Academic Skills and Welfare collections. It also houses books written by former and current members of the College.
