Special Collections: TUC Library

The TUC Library is the major research library for the study of all aspects of trade unions, collective bargaining and labour history, with both historical and contemporary coverage. The emphasis is on Britain, but many other countries are represented, especially Europe and the Commonwealth. 

The core areas of the collection are the publications of the TUC since its foundation in 1868, reference and historical works on the labour and trade union movement, union publications from the UK and overseas, and documents relating to working conditions and industrial relations in various industries. The collections also contain material collected from the wide-ranging campaigns and policy areas in which the TUC has been involved over the course of its history, including social policy areas such as health, housing, education, unemployment and social security.

A major strength of the Library is the large holdings of pamphlets from unions, pressure groups and campaign movements, collected from the 19th century onwards, which have survived here as in few other comparable libraries. Important research collections cover:- union activities, international affairs, labour biography, women workers, strikes, Labour Party and Communist Party.

The collections also contain various archive deposits, including the records of the Workers' Educational Association, the Labour Research Department and the personal papers of Gertrude Tuckwell (1861-1951) and Marjorie Nicholson (1914-1997). 

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Oral history and digital archive websites
Online exhibitions
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Most of the TUC Library acquired since it moved to London Metropolitan University in 1996 is on the University’s online catalogue.

However, the majority of the Library accumulated beforehand, from our foundation in 1922, was recorded on a Card Catalogue consisting of approximately 130,000 cards.

For archives collections (including Workers Educational Association and Labour Research Department) search the Special Collections Catalogue

We recommend you use both as finding aids for your research.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries at: specialcollections@londonmet.ac.uk

The TUC Library was established in 1922 and was based on the integrated collections of the TUC Parliamentary Committee, the Labour Party Information Bureau, and the Women’s Trade Union League. It was run as a joint library with the Labour Party until the TUC moved to Congress House in 1956.

The collection was developed for the use of the TUC and affiliated unions, but its specialisation has led to its parallel development as a major research library in the social sciences. In September 1996, the Collections moved to their new home in the London Metropolitan University Holloway Road library.