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Faculty of Philosophy

 
Students browsing library shelves

The Casimir Lewy Library provides support for philosophical study, teaching and research in Cambridge. The book collection comprises more than 17,000 volumes, focusing on Western analytic philosophy. The Library provides a pleasant, quiet study environment, with friendly library staff to help you make the most of the resources available.

The Library is named after Casimir Lewy (1919-1991), University Reader and fellow of Trinity College. He was an inspirational teacher, whose passion for clear thinking and logical rigour still echoes through the Faculty.

See our LibGuide for more information about Philosophy collections available in Cambridge. 

The following services are currently available from the Philosophy Library (last updated on October 2023):

  • Browsing, borrowing and study space: current members of the University are automatically registered to borrow from this library and are very welcome to work in our reading room. See our borrowing from the library page for further details.
  • Scans and printouts of printed material: subject to copyright permissions and limits, we may be able to make readings available to current Philosophy students via Moodle.  The University Library also offers a scan and deliver service to make extracts from print and electronic legal deposit material available via email or post.  
  • Inter-library loans: the University Library offers an inter-library loans service to request print material not currently held by Cambridge University Libraries from other libraries.  A new rapid inter-library loans service is also available to request digital copies of many book chapters and journal articles to be emailed to you within 24 hours.
  • Book returns: books can be returned in the library.  When the library is closed, please return them using the dropbox next to Lady Mitchell Hall and we will take them off your account the following working day.  If you have any difficulties returning your Philosophy Library books please contact us and we will do our very best to help.  See the book returns page of the Cambridge University Library website for more information, including details of postal options.  
  • Book recommendations, Phil the Gap!: please continue to send us your book recommendations by contacting us with the details or completing our online form.

Details of other services available from the University Library and other Faculty and Department Libraries are available from the Cambridge University Library website.

 

 

Term time opening hours

Monday - Friday: 9:30am-5:30pm

Saturdays: 11am-5pm

Sundays: Closed

Vacation opening hours 

Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm

Saturdays & Sundays: Closed

Planned closures: Friday 29 March - Friday 5 April

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Online payments

You can make payments for lost books and merchandise using your debit or credit card from our secure site. 

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