The Great North Museum: Hancock Library

The Library is on the second floor of the Museum. It contains our collection, as well as the Natural History Society of Northumbria and Newcastle University's Cowen Library collections. It is open to all to use and fully accessible.

Please check the GNM: H library’s website for opening hours, and more information about all three collections and library facilities.

Members of SANT are able to borrow from our collection (you will need your SANT membership card, and some restrictions apply). You are welcome to consult books from the other collections while in the library, but not take them away.

For queries, please e-mail the SANT Honorary Librarian. For general library queries, please see the library’s website or get in touch with the Librarian.

What’s in the SANT Library Collection?

We own around thirty thousand volumes, mainly relating to the Society's area of interest covering all periods of the history of the north east of England. In addition, we take journals, either by direct subscription or by exchange for Archaeologia Aeliana, with other societies in Great Britain, Ireland and Western Europe. Some of these journals are available on-line to members. We also have a very substantial collection of maps. 

For special features on particularly interesting items, follow this link.

Click on the links below for lists of books, journals and maps. These will then will guide you to the location of items. Most recent volumes are in the Public Access area. Older or rarer books are in the Controlled Access areas. Members may request access to these from the librarian (please get in touch in advance of your visit if you require particular items). 

SANT Library Collection Lists

Follow the links below for lists of books, journals and maps that are in the SANT library collection.

These are pdf documents, searchable using either the magnifying glass icon or by pressing ‘Ctrl F’ on your keyboard. (If you find any difficulties, follow this link for the relevant Adobe help page).

Books in the Great North Museum: Hancock Library can also be found on Newcastle University’s library catalogue. However, most recent additions are not yet added. Please consult the lists above for more up-to-date records.

Other books are in the overflow store at the Discovery Museum, or at the Bagpipe Museum, Morpeth. A number of books with additional manuscript material bound are in Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn.

We have our own shelving system, organised by region or period. Follow this link for information about the shelving system.

If you cannot find a book on the shelves, please ask the librarian.