We are here to support your teaching
The Library provides a wide range of resources and services to support learning, teaching and research. We work with academic staff to ensure students have a good learning experience. Please contact us for more information or to arrange a session.
Getting Started
Your library registration is completed automatically when you join the University so you do not need to register to use the Library separately.
If you are a new member of staff, please book a library induction for information about our resources and services.
Borrowing
How do I find and borrow books?
Use Library Search to search for books, check availability for print books, and access e-books online. If you sign in at the start, you will get better results.
Once you find your book, you can borrow it quickly and easily using your ID card and our self-service machines. Please remember to renew or return your books by their due dates to avoid fines.
If you have trouble finding anything in the Library, please ask us at the front desk; we are here to help.
How many books can I borrow?
Members of staff may borrow up to 15 items
For how long can I borrow a book?
You can borrow books for 4 weeks.
All borrowed books can be renewed up to 5 times provided that there are no requests on the title.
Can I borrow books from St Peter's and Murray Libraries in Sunderland?
If we do not have a particular title in London Library and there is no e-book version of that title, you can borrow books from our libraries in Sunderland. Use the REQUEST tool in Library Search to borrow books from St. Peter's or Murray Libraries. You can borrow the book from us when it arrives from Sunderland and return it to us when you finished reading it.
How do I access e-books?
You can read e-books on and off campus via the links displayed in the search results in Library Search. Use your University user ID and password to sign in and gain access. Some e-books are also available to download for a period of time or you can download PDF chapters to keep.
Returning
How do I know when my books are due?
You can check when your books are due for return either online by signing in to Library Serach or on the self-service machines in the Library. Please make sure you know when your books are due back so that you can return or renew them on time to avoid fines.
How do I return books?
You can return your books using our self-service machines and drop-box.
To avoid overdue charges and to make sure that everyone has a fair opportunity to borrow books, please make sure that you return them on or before their due dates. If you are unable to return books by their due dates, please renew them. This will help you avoid having to pay unnecessary charges.
What are the charges for late return and how do I pay my fines?
Our overdue fines are 10p per book per day.
Please note that each item can incur a maximum fine of £15 every time you allow it to become overdue.
Library charges can be paid online using the Sign in option in Library Search. Once you sign in, go to FINES+FEES and Pay Fine to proceed with your payment using a debit\credit card or PayPal.
Please note that your library account will be suspended if you do not pay off your fines within 30 days.
I lost a library book, what should I do?
If you think you may have lost a library book, please contact the Library as soon as possible as this could reduce the amount of overdue fines you will have to pay. The Library staff will provide you more information on replacement costs and procedures.
Renewing and Requesting
How do I renew my books?
You can renew your books quickly and easily 24/7 by signing in to Library Search. You can also renew your items in the Library at our self-service machines using your University ID card. Alternatively speak to a member of staff who will be happy to help .
All borrowed books can be renewed provided there are no requests on the title. After you reached the renewal limit, you will have to return the item before you can take it out again..
How do I request books?
You can request books from London or Sunderland. Simply find the book in Library Search and use the REQUEST option once you sign in. Make sure London Library is the pickup location. You will receive an email once the item is ready for collection. You will then have 5 working days to collect your requested items from the library desk during our staffed hours.
My Library Account
Manage your library account online by signing in to Library Search.
You can use your account to:
- View your loans and return dates
- Renew your books
- Request resources and manage your requests
- View and pay any library fines
- View your loan history
- View all notification emails you have received from the Library
Why has my library account been suspended?
Your library account is suspended automatically if any of the following happens:
- You have outstanding charges that exceed £14.99
- Outstanding charges have remained on your account for more than 30 days
- You have a book that has been overdue for more than 30 days
What should I do if my library account has been suspended?
You will need to:
- Return any overdue books to the library
- Pay any outstanding charges online by signing in to Library Search
Please note that you will be unable to renew or borrow any further items until the suspension has been resolved. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your library account.
Subject Resources
We purchase resources based on reading lists and your suggestions to ensure our resources fully support and contribute to a good quality teaching and learning experience.
Where do my students find their module reading lists?
Reading lists are available through Library Reading Lists.
MMR is our online reading lists system that links your students directly to
- print books in Library Search to see current availability for borrowing/requesting
- electronic resources (e-books, journal articles,reports, and more) in Library Search to read them online
- good quality websites
Find out more about reading lists.
How do I suggest a title for purchase?
Please check Library Search first to see whether we already have the book. If not, contact us as soon as possible and we will purchase the book for the library if it is available to purchase. Please tell us the module code and how many students are on the module when asking us to purchase books.
Study Skills Support
Our training sessions and Study Skills pages help students learn all about academic research and acquire skills necessary to successfully complete assignments.
These resources and sessions will guide your students through stages of assignment writing such as:
- finding and identifying relevant resources
- understanding and evaluating information
- referencing and avoiding plagiarism
Our sessions also provide advice on most reliable, up-to-date academic and industry publications on your subject.
How do I arrange a session for my students?
In addition to drop-in and one-to-one sessions, we also offer in-class sessions tailored to your specific group of students. If you would like to arrange a session please contact us and book an IT room through Student Admin for the session.