Visiting the Library

Easter closure

The Huguenot Library will close on Wednesday 27 March and re-open on Tuesday 9 April.

The Huguenot Library is currently housed with UCL Special Collections at The National Archives and welcomes as readers both members and non-members of the Huguenot Society.

Access and opening times

The Library is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9.30 to 17.00 (19.00 on Tuesdays). 

Due to the size of our reading room, only a small number of readers can be accommodated each day.

The collections are accessible by appointment only. Appointments should be made at least two weeks in advance of the planned visit by contacting the Librarian by email: [email protected]

We regret we will not be able to book appointments at shorter notice.

Before your visit

The Library’s collection is held on closed access and must be ordered in advance. You will therefore need to provide the details of the material you wish to see before your visit so that it can be ordered for you. 

Use our Library catalogues page to search for material. If you need any assistance in selecting the items you wish to consult, please contact the Librarian.

You will be able to request up to 6 books or 6 archive boxes per visit, or a combination of the two (e.g. 2 archive boxes and 4 books). Please note that you will not be able to order further material on the day of your visit. We may also have to limit access to material which is fragile or contains confidential information.
 

Procedure for visits

After booking an appointment, you will need to complete an application form and will receive an accreditation letter, confirming the date of your visit and the items reserved. Please remember to bring this letter with you in electronic format when you visit the Library.

Please also remember to bring a form of photographic identification (i.e. a current UK Driving Licence, a valid passport, or a UCL ID if you are a UCL member).

For information on travelling to the National Archives by public transport or car, see their How to Find us page.


Using the reading room

Visitors are asked to abide by the rules of The National Archives and the Huguenot Library. You will be able to bring pencils (without erasers), notebooks, laptops, tablets, cameras and mobile phones. Power sockets and wifi are available in the reading room. Further details can be found in the Reading Room Guidelines

There are no photocopying facilities available. Readers are welcome to bring their own camera for copying material, in line with the Huguenot Library's digital copying policy. Please let the Librarian know if you wish to take any images.

On the day of your visit, the Librarian will be on hand to offer guidance.

Material on open access

A small selection of books is available on open access in the reading room, including general histories, titles on specific trades Huguenots were involved in, books on genealogical research and a number of our latest acquisitions. In addition, all the Society's publications (Quarto Series volumes, Journal of the Huguenot Society, Huguenot Families and New Series) can be found in the reading room.

 

Electronic resources

Readers can access a full set of the Society's publications electronically from the computers in the reading room and therefore do not need to request them in hard copy. These consist of:

  • The majority of the Quarto Series volumes. Those available are listed on the CD-ROMs page
  • A full set of the Journal of the Huguenot Society, previously known as Proceedings
  • The Huguenot Surname Index (indexing the Quarto Series volumes and the Dover and Sandtoft registers)
  • All the issues of Huguenot Families

Step-by step instructions on using the electronic resources are available online.

If you prefer to bring your own laptop to access the electronic resources, we can issue a one-day username and password. Please let us know in advance should you wish to do so.

 

Copying of Library material

Visitors to the Library are able to copy material not in copyright held by the Library. The Librarian is also able to provide such material to enquirers who are unable to visit the Library. For details and costs, see the Readers charges leaflet.

If an item is in copyright, reproduction can be supplied only for private study and non-commercial research purposes. The amount that can be copied is limited to 5% of a monograph, or one article of a journal.

Any image taken at the Library or requested remotely cannot be publicly disseminated (e.g. published on websites or otherwise, exhibited) without the Library's consent.

The copying of larger quantities of material and of any quantity of material intended for wider reproduction (commercial or otherwise) is subject to the Society’s copyright policy. Obtaining copyright clearance in such cases may take a number of weeks and the Society may make additional charges.

If the copyright of the material requested does not belong to the Society or the French Hospital, clearance needs to be sought in advance. The Library cannot grant reproduction permissions on behalf of a third party. Please contact the Librarian in the first instance for more information.