Library and archive

The essential folk resource

"The most important concentration of material on traditional song, dance and music in the country."
A Dictionary of English Folklore

The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML) is England’s national folk music and dance archive, an essential resource for anybody interested in the folk arts. Founded in 1930 as the Cecil Sharp Library and housing Cecil Sharp’s personal book collection (which helped lay the foundations of the modern folk revival), it is now a multi-media library of distinction, containing books, pamphlets, periodicals, press cuttings, broadsides, paintings, photographs, slides, artefacts, records, reel-to-reel tapes, phonograph cylinders, videos, cine films, compact discs, audio cassettes and more.

It is a comprehensive collection, containing the largest number of manuscripts in England and providing an insight into history and regional variations. Explore the catalogue of printed literature

Recent projects include Take 6 project, a searchable database of manuscript archives from several of the most prominent folk song collectors, and The Full English, a learning programme involving the world’s biggest digital archive of English folklore, song and dance manuscripts. Both projects have been supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund Heritage Lottery Funding.

The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) is the library’s custodian. The Library is housed at the Society’s HQ, Cecil Sharp House.

The Library was given an excellence award by the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML) in 2010 and designated status by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) in 2011.

Opening hours

Please note the library will be closed for Refurbishment from the 19 July to 5 September.  Library staff will continue to operate an email, telephone and letter enquiry service during the closure period. Check the VWML website for updates and photos whilst the refurbishment takes place. 

Tuesday – Friday, 9.30am – 5.30pm
First and third Saturdays each month (except August), 10am – 4pm
The Audio Visual Archive is closed 12 – 2pm, daily.  Advanced booking is essential for access to the Audio Visual Archive, by calling +44 (0)20 7485 2206.

Entry fee

Free, EFDSS Members
£3.50, non-EFDSS Members

Supporters

RVW Trust
National Folk Music Fund

Explore the Library’s collections

Search the Library’s indexes 

Browse the Library’s catalogue