Library Services for Researchers

Library Services for Researchers

Borrowing rights

Firstly, please check the library catalogue, to see if the book you need is held in the Peirson Library.

To borrow items from the Peirson Library, please take them to the self service Issue machines in the foyer. If you need help, staff are available at the Information Point. To return items, use the self service Returns machine which is also in the foyer. Note: you must have your student/staff card with you whenever you wish to borrow items.

You can also use the Library Catalogue to renew and request items. Items can be renewed unless another borrower has requested the item. If the book you need is on loan and there are no copies left you can request it. You can also request items which are held in our remote store. In both cases, click the blue 'Request' button to the right of the book title and follow instructions.

Details of loan allocations and fines for research students are as follows.

   Main Collection  Restricted Loan  School Resource Area
Allocation  20 items, 6 week loan period  3 items, check details of loan perod when borrowing  12 items, 4 week loan period
 Fines  25p per day  50p per hour  20p per day

Reference material

Some items held in print, such as journals, dictionaries, encyclopedias, theses and materials in the closed stack, are not for loan. These items can only be used in the Peirson Building.

Electronic resources

The library provides access to a wide range of electronic resources (journals, ebooks, bibliographic databases, reference material etc). These can be accessed via the Library Catalogue. Support and advice on using these is available. Information about passwords needed to access electronic resources is available here.

Research Collections

The Library also maintains a number of specialist research collections with a focus on children's literature.

Postal services

If you only visit the University occasionally, items from our library collection can be posted to you for a charge of £3 per book and £1.50 per journal article.

Interlibrary requests

The Peirson Library can obtain items via the Interlibrary Requests service. This service gives you access to books, photocopies of journal articles and theses not held at the University.

Using other libraries

The SCONUL Access scheme, which is described as 'Your passport to over 170 higher education libraries in the UK and Ireland', gives you borrowing rights at other university libraries.