The Old Library Redevelopment Project is an ambitious restoration project that will draw on 21st-century design and technology to safeguard the Old Library building and conserve its precious collections for future generations. It includes urgent structural and environmental upgrades, and the redevelopment of facilities in line with the best libraries and museums around the world.
The Old Library Redevelopment Project commenced in 2021. Restoration and construction works are due to start at the end of 2025. The newly conserved Old Library will include a new Research Collections Study Centre on the ground floor. The following stages are key components of the project including the decant of collections which will involve their relocation:
The Research Collections Reading Room is the joint reading room for Early Printed Books, Special Collections, and Manuscripts & Archives collections. It will remain in the East Pavilion of the Old Library until Saturday 27th April inclusive. On Tuesday 7th May, a new interim Research Collections Study Centre will open in the basement of the Ussher Library.
Our new opening hours will be 10am - 4pm (Monday - Friday), 10am - 1pm (Saturday).
All updates and advance notices will be provided for Library readers and the College community on this Library Guide. For more information on the Old Library Redevelopment Project see the Old Library Redevelopment website.
Collections currently experiencing restricted access:
We will endeavour to assist readers in any way we can to avoid disruption to research and learning during this period but thank you for your forbearance as we complete this complex task.
Please see our ‘planning your research visit’ page for more information or contact Research Collections by email: epbooks@tcd.ie (for printed material queries) or mscripts@tcd.ie (for manuscript and archive queries).
Renovation is now underway (as of February 2023) in the Ussher Library Basement to make way for the new interim Research Collections Study Centre as part of the Old Library Redevelopment Project. The basement level is now closed to readers and the Glucksman Map Library reading room is inaccessible. There is continuity of service with a scan on demand and enquiry service available during this closed period. Map Library staff continue to have access to the collections for this purpose. All requests for the scan on demand service may be submitted to the email: map.library@tcd.ie or telephone +353 1 8962087 or 8961544.
The Map Library reading room will re-open alongside the interim Research Collections Study Centre on Tuesday 7th May 2024. The Map Library will open 10am - 4pm (Monday - Thursday) and by appointment Friday. It will not open on Saturdays.
