Pembroke College Library and Archive, Cambridge

26/08/2026

Today we bid a fond farewell to our 2025-26 Graduate Library Trainee, Coral Shaw Jackson.

“I’ve had an amazing time at Pembroke as the Trainee Librarian. It’s been a busy and rewarding year, filled with valuable training, visits to other libraries and opportunities to build professional networks with fellow trainees and library staff across Cambridge.”

“From supporting students in the Library during the exam season, to researching one of Pembroke’s archive collections as part of my own project, every day has brought something new.”

As for the best part of the job: the people. “Thank you to everyone at Pembroke for making this year truly special!”

Coral joined Pembroke last September. After studying for a degree in Fine Art at Loughborough, she spent a year out working in Nottingham Central Library. Thoroughly enjoying that experience, she decided to explore a career in the library sector and to apply for the traineeship at Pembroke.

Many colleges offer library graduate trainee places, which provide valuable experience in key areas of library work, very useful preparation for those intending to apply for a postgraduate qualification. The Cambridge trainees attend a coordinated programme of events, including visits to many of the over 100 libraries across the University - and beyond.

We wish Coral all the very best for the future. She’s heading back to Nottingham to work part-time as an Information Assistant in Nottingham Trent University’s Library, alongside studying for a part-time online MA in Library and Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield.

If you would like to find out more about what the Cambridge trainees get up to, check out their blog on CaTaLOG: https://www.catalog.group.cam.ac.uk/

22/07/2026

Pembroke and the Cambridge Archivists Group are at the Lilian Redstone Day at the Hold in Ipswich.

Lilian Redstone MBE BA (1885–1955) helped shape how Suffolk’s history is kept and shared today.

In the early 1900s, she was one of the first women to make history her profession, working with medieval documents and manuscripts to research, transcribe, and publish local history. She has informed the work of archivists ever since.

Visit the Suffolk Archives website to find out more! https://www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/whats-on/

17/06/2026

'Sincerely yours' is the new display in Pembroke College Library by our current Graduate Trainee. Open now to current members of College.

The display explores a collection of correspondence between the 20th-century painter Ivon Hitchens and Pembroke alumnus, Tom Rosenthal (m.1956). The project uncovers a view into Hitchens’ artistic career and his friendship with Rosenthal over 17 years of letter writing. The display explores transcription as a method to make manuscript collections accessible and evaluates the use of AI transcription tools.

12/06/2026

You did it! Well done to everyone who has been working on this fiendishly tricky puzzle this week. And to those who still have exams, keep going - you're nearly there!

11/05/2026

Humphrey Jennings (1926) was a renowned documentary filmmaker whose papers are held at Pembroke College Archive. In 1937 he co-founded the Mass Observation organisation, which called for people from all parts of the UK to record everything they did from when they woke up in the morning to when they went to sleep at night on 12th May. Since 2010, this project has been revived and you can take part on 12th May this year!

Our 12th May diary day is your chance to be part of recording everyday life. Sending us your dairy helps us record everyday life in the UK.

08/05/2026

Sir David Attenborough turns 100 today! In celebration of his birthday we have a small display in the Chapel display case.

28/04/2026

Today is the first day of term and for all those who are back in the Library we have a new display: A Celebration of Musicals! Find out about the varied stories that have been told through the medium of musical theatre, particularly those adapted from books, as well as the origins of the genre. The display can be found in the Library (Ground Floor and Upper Reading Room) and in J Staircase and it is open to current members of College.

09/04/2026

20/03/2026

This new exhibition features material from our collections, including the Barrie Cooke Archive. Our Archive holdings can be searched on https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/3

Our fantastic new exhibition opens today

"I hope that visitors to this exhibition will feel fascinated, challenged, provoked, inspired." - Curator, Dr Mark Wormald.

Join us this afternoon for the opening day of our new exhibition, Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers.

Visit Pembroke:
Tuesday to Saturday
2:30 - 4:30pm

A collaboration between University Library and , the exhibition continues at the University Library.

05/03/2026

Happy World Book Day! 📚
Here’s a selection of the books that the Library & Archive team are enjoying at the moment. Tell us what you are reading in the comments!