The Library isn’t just somewhere you can get books. It’s somewhere you can do your work on your own or with others, escape sensory overload and get some help with studying. This section of the Toolkit will introduce our library and the services it can offer you.

We have specialist library staff who understand autism and want to help you make the most out of your time at uni. They can help you with finding, choosing and using library resources, amongst many other things.

We have one central campus Library, so books, journals and resources to support all Departments (and all Library staff) are based here. The building is open 24 hours a day all year and the Level 2 Issue Desk enquiry point is open until 7pm on weekdays during semesters. Follow our Virtual Tour.

Each Department has a Subject Librarian specialising in the subject area, available to help students to use Library resources effectively. If you would like, you can have an introductory meeting with your Subject Librarian to discuss any additional needs you have around library support.

We have extensive electronic resources available to students on or off campus.  This includes over 524,000 online books and over 26,000 online journals.  We also provide students with access and support for over 100 subscription and 100 open access research databases, essential for finding high quality information for your assignments and projects in books, journals and other publications. Our print collections include over 334,000 books and 246 journal titles. Students can borrow up to 30 books at a time and there are no fines for overdue items.

Many students in the Autism&Uni surveys mentioned the library as somewhere they really enjoyed being, whether they needed some quiet space to get away from it all or find some help or just to get some work done.

We have study space for 1,600 students, zoned into silent, quiet and group study areas by floor, so you can choose the area you feel most comfortable in. The main University reception desk is based just inside the main doors to the library, and is staffed 24 hours a day by members of the Security team, who are all qualified first aiders.

All computers and laptops in the library have a range of assistive software installed, including speech-to-text, mind mapping and screen-reading facilities. At the back of Level 2 of the library is the Assistive Technology room, where you can access computers with additional specialist software and hardware. You can discuss your needs around this technology with your Disability Adviser.

You can find the contact details for all the library staff here. The Subject Librarians and Information Librarians are around halfway down the page. They have an open door policy, which means that you can approach them to ask for help finding resources or using the services, and at the bottom of that page is the Ask A Librarian service form, where you can ask your question and it will be directed to the most appropriate member of staff.

See also Penny and the library