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 (see below). It is open to all to use and fully accessible.
Please check the Great North Museum: Hancock Library 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 contact the SANT Honorary Librarian (librarian@newcastle-antiquaries.org.uk). 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 online to members (see Members' Area - login required). We also have a very substantial collection of maps.
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.
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 - see the document below for further information.
If you cannot find a book on the shelves, please ask the librarian.
Cowen Library
The Cowen Library is named after John D. Cowen, a noted amateur archaeologist and past president of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, who donated his own collection of books in 1976. It now contains around 7,000 books and a subject specific range of journals and offprints. It was originally housed in the Museum of Antiquities and started life as a small collection to aid the curatorial staff. It became Newcastle University’s archaeology departmental library when the department was formed in 1972.
Main subject areas include archaeology, ancient history and classics. Areas of particular strength are Roman Britain including social and military history, local archaeology, archaeological theory and methodology, and the history and archaeology of the Byzantine Empire. Of particular local interest are books on Hadrian’s Wall ranging from the mid 18th century through to newly published material.