Booking an appointment at the Caird Library
When is the Caird Library reopening?
The Library will reopen when the current Government restrictions are lifted. The Library will be open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
How do I book an appointment?
Booking an appointment in advance is essential.
To book your appointment please follow the three steps below:
- Register with Aeon, our online ordering system - or use your existing account
- Search our online catalogues and use the “order” button to place items you wish to study in “Keep for my review” Archive Catalogue | Library Catalogue
- E-mail Library staff at library@rmg.co.uk to schedule your visit (we regret we cannot schedule appointments by telephone)
When you contact the Library via e-mail, the member of staff handling your booking will ask you to confirm:
- The items you would like to view from your “Keep For My Review” list. (This is also found under Review Requests in your account.)
- Your planned arrival time at the Museum (Library admission is at 10.30am, 11.30am, and 1.30pm only)
Once your booking has been agreed, you will be e-mailed a timed entry ticket for you to enter the museum.
What happens when I arrive?
Each visit requires a separate entry ticket. Please bring your ticket with you, and upon arrival at the museum, staff will scan and confirm your visit.
How often can I visit?
In order to provide as many opportunities for researchers to access the collections, visits should be scheduled no more frequently than once every other week. It is possible to visit on each day the Library is open in a given week.
Please make it clear when booking your appointment if you plan to visit on more than one day.
When do I need to book by?
Please use the guide below to see when you need to make your appointment. The date shown is for final confirmation of items to be retrieved. We recommend allowing as much time as possible to arrange your appointment.
Booking times
Royal Museums Greenwich sites, including the Caird Library, will need to remain closed whilst the Greater London region remains subject to COVID-19 tier three restrictions. An indication of the dates that the Library could be open in January and February 2021 are shown below. Please note we will not be able to reopen the Library until our local area's COVID alert level changes.
| Visit Date | Booking to be agreed by |
| Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 December | 12.30 Tuesday 22 December |
| Tuesday 12 or Wednesday 13 January | 12.30 Wednesday 6 January |
| Saturday 16 January | 12.30 Wednesday 6 January |
| Tuesday 19 or Wednesday 20 January | 12.30 Wednesday 13 January |
| Wednesday 27 or Thursday 28 January | 12.30 Wednesday 20 January |
| Wednesday 3 or Thursday 4 February | 12.30 Wednesday 27 January |
| Saturday 6 February | 12.30 Wednesday 27 January |
| Wednesday 9 or Thursday 10 February | 12.30 Wednesday 3 February |
| Wednesday17 or Thursday 18 February | 12.30 Wednesday 9 February |
| Wednesday 24 or Thursday 25 February | 12.30 Wednesday17 February |
We can provide access to a maximum of 10 collection items per reader per day.
Please note that items held in off site storage are not currently able to be requested for viewings. Larger format items, such as maps and charts which require two members of staff to retrieve for use, may also be temporarily restricted. We will notify you of any items that are not available for viewing when scheduling your visit.
How to register
To register and to request items to view you will need to use the Library's online request system, Aeon.
Guidance for using our online request system
Preparing for your visit
We have prepared a detailed guide to visits to the Caird Library whilst social distancing measures are in place which can be found via the links below:
Based on the latest Government guidance, all visitors to Royal Museums Greenwich sites, including the Caird Library, should wear a face covering unless exempt for health reasons.
Access Policy
For a full description of our services, how we operate and our conditions of use please see the Caird Library and Archive Access Policy
Please note that although we hold many collections, maritime history research can be time-consuming so do allow plenty of time for your visit.