The Library
The Wesley House library is a wonderfully light space with views across the Court at one end and across Jesus Lane to Malcolm Street at the other. It houses some 18,000 volumes. Within its broad general collection, the library has specialisms in church history and pastoral theology. There is also a Methodist library of 4,000-4,500 volumes. These include: a long run of the Arminian/Methodist Magazine from volume 1 to about 1880; some collections of 19th-century pamphlets; a near-complete run of Wesleyan Conference Minutes and of British Methodism since Union; and the standard periodicals. The library policy can be found here.
Registered students also have access to the libraries of the Cambridge Theological Federation. The Cambridge University Library (UL) is available to those engaging in suitable study or research. Please note that unless you are a Cambridge University student you will need to apply for access to the UL – FURTHER DETAILS. It is worth noting that you can only obtain reading rights. It is a copyright library entitled to receive copies of all books published in the UK alongside the many internationally published books and journals it collects.
Amongst other riches, Cambridge boasts significant collections of early biblical manuscripts and other key documents, for example the Westminster Confession which can be viewed online.
The library collections of the Cambridge Theological Federation, including the Wesley House library, can be searched using the University of Cambridge’s online searchable catalogue. To search just the Federation libraries, use the drop-down ‘libraries’ menu to the right of the search box.
A descriptive list of the archives and manuscripts can be found here.
To apply to access the library or archive at Wesley House as an external user or researcher, please contact the college office.