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Cambridge Digital Collection Platform


With generous support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation and the Polonsky Foundation, the Cambridge University Digital Library began its journey in 2010, seeking to represent some of the world’s invaluable special collections by opening up knowledge, to the widest possible audience, for research, education, simple curiosity or simply to enjoy.

Over the years, more than £2 million has been invested in this endeavour, with contributions from specialist photographers, curators and subject matter experts providing rich content contained within a purpose built platform created by a team of in-house developers at Cambridge University Library. The Cambridge University Digital Library is a well-loved innovative, world-class resource for everyone.

Cambridge University Library is now taking another step forward in our mission:  

  •    to provide more access to world heritage collections
  •    to collaborate with partners to share the benefits and maximise reach and impact
  •    to engage people and inspire thirst for knowledge and understanding.  


Our innovation is quite simple – we share the software platform, the Cambridge Digital Library Platform, that we have built to help many more Universities, Libraries, Museums and Galleries, so that they in turn can share their wonderful collections with the world.

The launch of the University of Manchester’s Digital Collection (https://www.digitalcollections.manchester.ac.uk) is the result of a collaborative project between University of Manchester and Cambridge University Libraries.  It represents the first step in our ambitious mission to share Cambridge’s platform and build a strong community of developers, researchers and special collection experts, ultimately giving everyone the opportunity to experience the world’s wonderful collections.


In 2020, the Cambridge Digital Collection Platform will be released as an open source software project to the community.  

 Further information will be published soon.