Lambeth Palace Library viewed from the garden

Lambeth Palace Library

The National Library & Archive
of the Church of England

ABOUT
New: Saturday opening 2023
Book Catalogue

Archive Catalogue
Image Database

About

Librarian carrying tottering pile of books in the Great Hall, Lambeth Palace Library

Our vision & mission, a brief history of the Library, and a tour of our new building.
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Using the Library

Saint John writing the Apocalypse on Patmos with an angel whispering in his ear over his shoulder.

How to obtain a ticket, book an appointment, and find us.
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Collections

Shepherds watch the sheep while angels above announce the birth of Jesus.

Catalogues, guides, and information about individual collections.
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Services

Guillaume de Deguileville seated with an open book on the desk before him which is kept open by strings and weights.

Imaging Services, Exhibition Loans and self-service photography for the public, the National Church Institutions, and the wider Church.
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Collections Care

Photo of men carrying straw into a church

The new Collections Care studio is at the heart of the Library’s design and is central to its mission.

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Friends of the Library

Earl Rivers, kneeling before the throne, presents a book to Edward IV.

The Friends of Lambeth Palace Library was founded in 1964 and provides invaluable assistance in the acquisition of rare materials and in conservation.
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Help make the work of the library possible. Your generosity is vital in helping us to care for nationally significant collections, manuscripts and rare books. With your support the conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation of this important collection can continue to be undertaken, preserving the treasures of the past for future generations and ensuring they remain free and accessible to all. 


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Events & Exhibitions
Events Calendar

Click on View Calendar for a list of all events or to see events by month.

Upcoming Events

View Calendar
Latest News
  • Easter Closure
    The Library closes for Easter on Wednesday 5 April at 5pm and reopens on Tuesday 11 April at 11am.
  • Saturday Opening
    During 2023 Lambeth Palace Library will be open on one Saturday a month. If there proves to be sufficient demand, Saturday […]
  • See the Library’s new Youtube video
    Lambeth Palace Library has released the first video on its new Youtube Channel. Dr Sarah Griffin, Assistant Archivist, looks at illuminated […]
Join the Friends of the Library
Friends of Lambeth Palace Library looking at rare books on one of their visits.

The Friends of Lambeth Palace Library (registered charity no. 313023) was founded in 1964 to support the Library. It provides invaluable assistance in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in the conservation of the collections, helping the Library to develop and flourish. Friends receive regular invitations to lectures, behind the scenes tours, exhibitions and events in the Library and Palace, amongst other benefits.

learn more & join
Detail from the Chicheley Breviary showing a decorated initial letter B containing an image of Saul and David
The Library Blog – A Monument of Fame

Our blog is so named because James I famously called Lambeth Palace Library “a monument of fame in my kingdom”. The blog contains posts about important books, manuscripts and archives from the collections and the stories behind them, as well as news about Library developments.