Finding books

All the Darwin library books are listed in the online Union catalogue, accessible both by telnet (telnet ul.cam.ac.uk) and through the web.

The shelfs are labelled by subject. The books are arranged in order of book number, with the exception of over-sized books which are placed at the end. A shelf plan can be found at the borrowing desk.

Borrowing books

• When borrowing a book,
  1. enter your computer ID (eg, js123),
  2. scan the bar code on the back cover of the book.
  (A second copy of the bar code is available in the inside cover.)
  [If this does not work, please leave a message for the librarians on a piece of paper.]
• To return a book, lay it in the returns tray.

Darwin Library acquisitions

Each term, the college librarians buy new books for the library. We welcome members' recommendations and requests for purchases. We are particularly interested in requests for books published by C.U.P. (Cambridge University Press), as C.U.P. are making a special offer to college libraries at present. If you recommend any book with general interest, it is likely that we will buy it for the library.

To make your recommendations, simply go to the library support page, select the "New Query" button, and enter the details of the book.

Alternatively, if you prefer to use phone, paper, or email, please send your suggestions to (7)63547, "The Librarians", or librarian@dar, respectively.

Special features of the library

Vesalius's "Fabrica" and Spigelius's "Opera"

In 1995 the College was given two remarkable medical books by Mr Geoffrey R Fisk.

Mr Fisk became a member of the College and studied for an M. Phil in Physical Anthropology when he and Mrs Fisk moved to Cambridge on his retirement from St. Bartholomew's Hospital London, where he had been a teacher on the orthopaedic graduate rotation and Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hosptial, Harlow. Mr Fisk's major interest was the Hand and he has been president of the Society for Surgery of the Hand. Mr and Mrs Fisk have continued to play an active part in Darwin College life, attending the lectures of the annual Darwin series, College dinners and other College functions.

The first of the medical books is the "Fabrica" by Andreas Vesalius (1543) which has been described as the "most famous book on human anatomy ever printed and one of the most important". The woodcut illustrations, (the artist was probably Titian) are particularly famous for their technical excellence, the striking poses of the human models and the attractive Tuscan settings in which the models stand.

The second of the books is the "Opera" by Adrian Spigelius (1645). The plates mark a new epoch in anatomical illustration, being engraved on copper, in contrast to the woodcuts of the "Fabrica". This book also contains an early and important reprint of Harvey's description (1628) of the Circulation of the Blood.

The College is extremely fortunate in possessing first editions of two books that have played such a role in the development of science.

Finley collection

The Finley room houses the personal library of Moses Finley, an Ancient Historian who was the 2nd Master of Darwin College (1976-1982).

Student librarians

The Library Support system

Support through the web

If you

• have library-related problems;
• want to donate books; or
• wish to make requests,

Email support

Alternatively, if you prefer to use email, you may email librarian@dar.cam.ac.uk.

Phone support

Who's who

Student Librarian

Librarian phone: (7)63547

(People dialing will get a voicemail prompt if the phone isn't answered within a certain number of rings. [The voicemail box number for the librarians is 80065. To access it you can dial 66999 from a UTN extension (like the phone in the office) or 766999 from an outside line.] The number USED to be (3)35778, which is now the Computer Officer only.

The Library Committee

Useful links

Heffers website

University Libraries

Other departmental libraries.