About the Freeman

The Freeman Library is the library of the Geography Department in Trinity College, and is named after the late Walter Freeman, the first head of department. 'The Freeman' is supplementary to the main library system of College and provides a well-stocked reading room for students of the department. Currently there are about 4,000 books in the library, most of which are available for loan to students.

There are also small collections of reference books, bibliographies and more valuable older books which may be consulted only in the Freeman Library reading room. The library subscribes to core geographical journals. Some have been received continuously for over 50 years, and there are substantial holdings of non-current titles.

The department also has a substantial collection of sheet maps. These comprise both teaching sets and reference series of national surveys at various scales. The Freeman Library also holds over 900 original theses, written by former students of the department at both undergraduate and postgraduate level; these volumes reflect 60 years of teaching and research in the department.

Professor Freeman died in 1988 and bequeathed his personal geographical library to the department. This collection is particularly strong in the history of geographical thought and in geographical biography, the main fields of his own work in later years. Other scholars with links with the department have also made generous gifts of books on retirement in recent years.

Membership of the library is open to all those reading geography on completion of a membership card. Enquiries concerning the use of the Freeman Library should also be addressed to the Geography Office (geography@tcd.ie).