We know very little about what Trinity inherited from the libraries of Michaelhouse or the King's Hall, and there is no catalogue of Trinity Library that gives a clear idea of its contents before the end of the century. As we have seen, the Oxford and Cambridge colleges did little to improve their libraries in the mid-sixteenth century, even the richer colleges spending only trivial sums on books or library administration from the 1540s to the 1570s. In common with most of the other Oxford and Cambridge colleges, Trinity did not appoint a Librarian in the sixteenth century, and there is no record in the Bursars' accounts of money spent on books or binding or library administration before the 1580s. Nevertheless the College did acquire library books during the sixteenth century, and some of them were probably bought; some of these books were certainly bound for the College; someone must have been responsible for them, and have seen to it that the library apartment was kept clean and tidy. There is evidence that in the seventeenth century, routine Library expenditure on books, binding, and administration was met from room rents which were not recorded in the Bursars' accounts, and it may be that something of the sort occurred during the earlier period.

The arrangements for administering the College Library in the sixteenth century are hinted at in Library regulations that were incorporated in the Edwardian Statutes of 1552.