Accessing All Libraries: A Guide For University Of London Students

Students of the University of London have access to a wide range of libraries, both within and outside the University of London federation. The Senate House Library, for instance, is the central library for the University of London and is accessible to students and staff of its member institutions. The SCONUL Access scheme also allows students to visit several other academic libraries for reference and, in some cases, to borrow items. The M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries is another scheme that offers collaborative services at HE institutions within the M25 area and South-East England. Additionally, the University of London Libraries Access Agreement provides reference access to institutional libraries within the University of London.

University of London Access Agreement

The University of London is a federal university comprising 18 constituent colleges and ten academic institutes. The University of London Access Agreement provides reference access to institutional libraries within the University of London. The Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London and the School of Advanced Study. It has a research collection covering Arts, Literature, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Students and staff of the University of London's member institutions can access other University of London libraries through the SCONUL Access scheme or the University of London Libraries Access Agreement. The SCONUL Access scheme allows students and staff to visit different academic libraries for reference and, in some cases, to borrow items. The scheme is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic staff, and research students. However, it is not open to alumni, university visitors, or short-course students. The University of London Libraries Access Agreement allows students and staff reference access to most other libraries in the University of London federation.

Students and staff of the University of London's member institutions can also access libraries outside the University of London network through the SCONUL Access scheme. This includes libraries at other universities in the UK and Ireland, such as King's College London, University College London, and the London School of Economics. The British Library, the UK's National Library, is also open to everyone, although individuals must register for a Reader Pass to use the Reading Rooms at St Pancras.

M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries

The M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries is a collaborative organisation that works to improve library and information services within the M25 region and more widely across the East and Southeast of England. The Consortium has 54 or 55 member institutions, including Higher Education, national, museum and other scholarly libraries. The M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries was formed in 1993 with 29 members and has since expanded its activities and membership base.

The organisation provides a forum for sharing expertise and good practice, and it is committed to collaboration as a way of building relationships around libraries, users, and collections to bring added value to services. The direct customers of the Consortium are member libraries, but indirect customers include students, academics, and researchers of member institutions and beyond.

The M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries has a staff training and development programme that offers training events and library visits covering diverse aspects of library and information service provision. They also provide half-day Leadership Briefings, an annual informal drinks reception, and an annual conference for members and non-members. The Consortium has a registered charity status, awarded by the Charity Commission of England and Wales in January 2009.

The M25 Web Guide to M25 libraries was launched in 1996, winning a UCISA award in 1997. M25 LINK, launched in 1998, aimed to provide single-search access to the OPACs of six members of the M25 Consortium of Higher Education Libraries. The M25 Web Guide and M25 Link were replaced in 2001 by the Inform25 suite of services, which are still in operation. The Inform25 suite includes: Find a Library, which enables users to find information about member libraries; the Search Catalogue service, which allows users to simultaneously search across forty catalogues; and the Union List of Serials, which holds data on periodicals in the libraries of the University of London and the University of Westminster.

SCONUL Access Scheme

The SCONUL Access Scheme is a reciprocal access scheme run by the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL). It allows university library users to access study spaces, books, and journals at other libraries that are part of the scheme. Some libraries also allow users to borrow print books. The scheme is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, most academic staff, and research students. However, it is not open to alumni, university visitors, short-course students, or the staff who teach them.

To use the scheme, you must first check your eligibility and apply on the SCONUL Access website. Once your application is processed, you will receive an approval email with details on how to participate. You can then access the study spaces, books, and journals at any of the participating libraries.

Most university and college libraries in the UK and Ireland are part of the SCONUL Access Scheme. This includes many University of London libraries, such as King's College London, City, University of London, and University College London.

British Library

The British Library is the UK's National Library and is open to everyone. However, to use the Reading Rooms at St Pancras, you will need to register for a Reader Pass. The British Library is a reference library, meaning that books and other items can only be accessed within the library itself and cannot be borrowed.

To obtain a Reader Pass, you must first search the British Library Catalogue to see if they have the materials you need. All applications are subject to the British Library's Admission Criteria, which is based on 'need'. To apply, you will need a full, valid UCL ID card, a further form of identification (e.g., driving license, passport), confirmation of home address (e.g., utility bill, council tax bill), and proof of signature (e.g., bank card). It is also helpful to have specific ideas of the items you wish to consult.

The British Library contains some of the best collections in the world, including over 45,000 electronic journals and 800 electronic databases. Most resources are only available from British Library workstations within the library's reading rooms and Business & IP Centre.

Senate House Library

The Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London and the School of Advanced Study. It is located in Bloomsbury, London, and is one of the UK's largest academic libraries for arts, humanities, and social sciences. The library offers a range of resources for students, including beautiful study spaces, outstanding arts, humanities and social science collections, special collections, archives, and digital resources.

The Senate House Libraries group was dismantled in 2013, and in 2014, Senate House Library joined the School of Advanced Study. There are now four independent libraries in the School of Advanced Study: Senate House Library and the libraries of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, the Institute of Classical Studies, the Institute of Historical Research, and the Warburg Institute.

The library offers a Virtual Reading Room service, enabling researchers to make online appointments to consult special collections and archives remotely. Current students and staff of the University of London are eligible for membership of the Senate House Library.

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