Visiting the Library
Library staff are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm providing a full library support service. Outside of those hours, the Library is mainly self-service with Library Security in the building.
Details of our full opening hours can be found on our opening hours page.
What services do we offer?
You can view what services we offer through our Using the Library guide.
We are unable to offer internet access under any of our membership schemes, although if you are a SCONUL library member and your institution is signed up to use eduroam, you can access the Wi-Fi via eduroam and your logins from your home university. For more guidance on this, see our eduroam page.
For safety and security, you must carry your ID card at all times. You need this to access buildings and facilities across the university. You also need your ID card to enter and exit the Library and to borrow items.
If you don't have your ID with you, you can sign in at the Welcome Desk. When you sign in, you’ll be able to access the library facilities but won't be able to borrow any items, including laptops. For more information, visit our FAQ on "How do I get my Student ID card?".
Please note: ID cards are not transferable and library users are expected to comply with the Student Code of Conduct.
The University of Roehampton has a specific LibGuide for each of its collaborative partners. Each guide has information about Library and IT resources and support for students and staff. You can find the guide for your institution on our Partnership Libguides pages.
Please note: if you’re a QA student based in Roehampton’s London Holborn Centre, you may be able to request to get a Partnership Library card which will give you access to our Library situated on campus in Roehampton. For more information speak to a member of staff or check the specific 'Membership & visiting UR Library' part of your specific Partnership's LibGuide.
Alumni Membership
This membership is for former University of Roehampton students priced at a reduced fee of £30 per year. You will receive a Library Membership card to enable you to access the Library. You can borrow up to five books from the main collection and also have access to our reference stock for study purposes within the Library.
Note that due to licencing restrictions, there is no access to the University IT network, online resources, Wi-Fi, PCs and printing.
How to Apply
- Download and complete the application form, marking the membership you would like.
- The £30 payment should be made through our online store.
- Email us your completed application along with a clear passport style photo.
- Once your application has been confirmed you will need to bring a form of photo ID with full name and address when you come in to collect your Library membership card.
We aim to process applications within three business days of your request; this can take longer at the start of the academic term.
Our privacy policy shows you how your data is used; by applying for membership you are confirming that you have read and agreed to these terms.
Alumni Services
Further information for all former students and staff of Roehampton and its four Colleges can be found on our University Alumni webpages.
General visitors
Our library is access-only, so to access the library you must have a membership card.
Please note:
WI-FI access is not available in any of our membership schemes, although if you are a SCONUL library member and your institution is signed up to use eduroam, you can access the WI-FI via eduroam and your logins from your home university. For more guidance on this, see our eduroam page.
For more information on our memberships and how to apply, please visit our Visitors to the Library and Collaborative Partners page.
> Please note for all visitors to the library - our privacy policy shows you how your data is used; by visiting the library you're confirming that you have read and agreed to these terms.
Visitors with staff
If you are a member of staff at Roehampton and have guests that you’d like to bring into the Library, please contact us.
Visiting scholars
If you are a visiting scholar, please see our Visiting Scholars guide for information on how to gain access to Library resources.
Visitors supporting a Roehampton student’s studies
If you are planning to visit the library to support a Roehampton student’s studies, please contact us.
Partnership students
If you study with us through a partnership organisation, or are based at the Holborn campus, please see the ‘Partnership’ tab at the top of this box.
Study Space
Our world-class library has a variety of study space options. We have over 1000 seats (including different kinds of seating), bookable private study rooms, dedicated rooms for silent study, spaces for postgraduate students, and hundreds of thousands of books and eResources.
Every floor offers high-speed Wi-Fi, quick access and catalogue only PCs. The Library is also home to the Walsingham Garden Room and Café on the Lower Ground Floor. The café's opening hours can be found on the catering opening hours page.
Our Lower Ground Floor is a well-lit space that has computers, booths and tables for group and individual working,. We also have our Leisure Collection located here with a range of fiction and non-fiction titles to help you unwind or take a break from your studies.
The Walsingham Garden Room and Café is also found on this floor. For the Café opening hours, see the Catering opening hours.
Our Upper Ground Floor is a collaborative study space with a mixture of different seating and work space options.
It also contains:
- NEST enquiry desks in the Foyer and entrance to the Library
- Print journals
- Laptop loans machine - where you can borrow a laptop for 4-hours at a time
- Self-service loan machines
- Self-service book return machine
- Two MFDs - for printing, scanning and photocopying
Our First Floor has a mixture of soft seating and study options. It also houses teaching rooms 1.20, 1.21, 1.29 and 1.30.
You will also find:
- School Experience area – this area has our school experience collection and PC’s with additional software. A full breakdown of additional software can be found on our FAQ software on School Experience PCs.
- Six study rooms – for group or individual use and have a whiteboard, computer and big screen. For more information on study rooms visit our book a study room page.
- Silent study postgraduate room – with six PCs (four on adjustable height tables) and several individual study tables.
- We have one adjustable desk on the 1st floor (outside room 1.23)– you can move the desk up and down to get to the height you want.
- Two MFDs near the central stairs – for printing, scanning and photocopying.
Our Second Floor is a good space for individual working. There are also numerous PCs around the central atrium.
This floor also has:
- Eight study rooms – for group or individual use. Information on these rooms, including how to book, visit our book a study room page.
- Wellbeing Collection - this brand new collection can be found in the enclosed seating section at the top of the central staircase.
- Archives and Special Collections – this area has an archive room and rare books, original documents and artefacts. For more information on this area, please visit our using the archives page.
- Book rolling shelves - for help on using our rolling shelves, watch our rolling shelves video below.
Our Third Floor contains an atrium with mixed study space, including individual study spaces as well as two large study rooms with PCs. This floor is generally recommended for users wanting a quieter study environment to focus on their studies without distraction.
The floor contains:
• Weston Study Room - a large silent study room with PCs for all students.
• Maurice & Hilda Laing Study Room - a large silent study room with PCs for all students.
• Two TVs with integrated VCR players.
• Study spaces with adjustable desks – you can move these desk up and down to get the desired height.
On every floor we have: 
• Water fountains
• Toilets, including accessible toilets
• Quick use PCs near the central stairs, for printing lecture notes or checking emails
• Catalogue use PCs, to search the library catalogue
Select the large image for a larger view of facilities
We also have: 
• Food and drinks vending machines on the Lower Ground Floor
• Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs) on Upper Ground, First Floor and Third Floors to print, scan and photocopy
• Four self-service machines and two book returns machines on the Ground Floor
Select the image for a large view of the range of different seating options we offer.
The University of Roehampton is working with AccessAble to provide detailed Access Guides to the buildings, services, accommodation and rooms across the four different colleges.
Please see the AccessAble Guide for the Library
Computers & Laptops
In the Library we have over 200 computers available for use.
The computers and laptops share identical standard University software. The PCs on our 1st Floor School Experience area have additional specialist software. You can find out what software we have on our computers by looking at these lists (all pdf documents):
As well as our standard PCs, around the central stairs on each floor we have:
-
Two quick access PC’s – these are great if you have something quick to do
-
Two catalogue PCs – these are set up for catalogue use only, so you can search our catalogue without logging on to a computer
Many of our study rooms also have computers with large screens, which are great for group work.
Students can borrow our 4-hour borrowable laptops via the LapSafe machine on the ground floor. You can borrow one laptop at a time and as soon as you've returned one, you can take out another.
For help borrowing a laptop, please speak to Library staff or view our how to borrow a four-hour laptop and our how to return a four-hour laptop infographics.
For security and privacy, all your work will be deleted from the laptop once you close the lid or the laptop runs out of battery. Make sure you save your work regularly using a USB or cloud storage - we recommend using your University OneDrive account.
If you are a student or staff member and require a laptop on a more long-term basis, please contact AVR to log a request. More information can also be found on the AVR Moodle Page.
Printing, Copying & Scanning
We have printers on the Ground Floor and First Floor of the Library. Printers can be used to print, scan and photocopy.
Visit the ServiceDesk solutions pages for more information including guidance on:
- Costs and credit (including how to top up your credit).
- Guidance on how to print, copy and scan (such as how to print in colour, or single-sided instead of double-sided).
- Printing from laptops, tablets, phones and personal devices.
Library Rules & Regulations
Library Services aims to make your experience of studying in the Library as productive and welcoming as possible. To assist with this, we ask that all users show respect for each other, towards library staff and the building itself.
Noise
Out of consideration for other library users we ask that all users refrain from excessive noise and disruptive behaviour inside the Library. This out of consideration for other Library users. Thank you.
Food and Drinks
You can bring and consume snacks in the Library. Lidded drinks are also allowed on all floors of the Library. Please note, no food or drink is permitted in the Archives room.
Security and Behaviour
We ask all users to treat fellow library users and library staff with dignity and respect. Any demeaning or offensive language will not be tolerated. For security reasons we also ask that you do not leave your belongings unattended inside the Library, as they're considered a risk and will be removed.
For more information, please consult with the University Student Code of Conduct, found on the University's regulations policies and procedures page.
For safety and security, you must carry your ID card at all times. You need this to access buildings and facilities across the university.
You also need your ID card to enter and exit the Library and to borrow items.
If you don't have your ID with you, you can sign in at the Welcome Desk. When you sign in, you’ll be able to access the library facilities but won't be able to borrow any items, including laptops.
For more information, visit our FAQ on "How do I get my Student ID card?".
Please note: ID cards are not transferable and library users are expected to comply with the Student Code of Conduct.
Our food policy balances the needs of students while creating a study space where students can focus on their work and items are protected from damage.
If what you're eating disturbs other users (for example, foods that are smelly, greasy or noisy) we may ask you to move to the Library Cafe. Remember to be respectful of others and leave your study space clean, putting all litter in the bins.
If you are looking for somewhere to eat, the Campus Catering page lists all the food catering outlets on campus and their opening hours.
If you want to know more about what is expected from you and what you can expect from us, look at our Library Code of Conduct page.
The Library promotes quiet study alongside a flexible working environment, enabling students to study how they want to in study space areas that work for them. We have several dedicated spaces tailored towards silent study:
- First Floor postgraduate silent study room
- Third Floor Weston silent study room (for all students)
Please remember to always use headphones for music and videos wherever you are in the Library.
Library staff may ask you to move floors if you are causing a disturbance or creating excessive noise.
If you want to know more about what is expected from you and what you can expect from us, look at our Library Code of Conduct pdf.
Study Rooms
Study Rooms in the Library
Please visit the Study Room booking portal to reserve our study rooms. Rooms can be booked for a maximum of three hours a day, and are bookable up to seven days in advance.
We have 14 study rooms available for student use; six on the First Floor and eight on the Second Floor. If the study room has a screen, it will also have an attached webcam for use in lectures and virtual one-to-one meetings.
Other Rooms in the Library
Room 1.22 is the silent study postgraduate room in the Library. This study room has six PCs (four of which are on adjustable
height tables). Please be mindful of others when using this room. Users may be asked to move if they are disturbing others.
Other Study Spaces on Campus
Did you know students can also use Southlands Queens Building QB.046 and Manresa Hall (Whitelands)? These are 24 hour study spaces and you’ll need your Student ID card to access them.
There are also lots of alternative study spaces across the University. To find out more information - speak to a member of staff in your department, such as the Administrator or Programme Convenor.
Event Bookings in the Library
We can host University and Departmental events and also offer space to student groups and societies (these must be organised through Roehampton Student Union).
Please note, student space takes priority so if there is significant impact on Library users and space we may not always be able to fulfil your request.
In order to request use of a library space, please complete a Library foyer booking request form.
Things to consider
• Requests must be sent at least seven days prior to the date of the event. This allows us to plan ahead to accommodate the needs of our users.
• If you are are booking for a University of Roehampton society or group, please contact the Activities Co-ordinator at the Student Union.
• We do not permit commercial sales or any food-related products/sales (e.g. bake sales) in the foyer.
• If it is a large event in the ground floor atrium area, organisers must complete a risk assessment approved by the University's Health and Safety team.
• Please ensure you leave the area tidy and clean, and any tables or furniture brought with you are promptly removed.
Filming and Photography in the Library
We are happy to consider requests for filming and photo shoots in the library space, but we do have to take into account the needs of all library users. Therefore it is important that these activities do not impede quiet or silent study, or cause any disruption to others using the space. Some requests may be refused to ensure the above conditions are adhered to.
If you would like to film in the Library, you will need to complete the following forms:
- Library filming request form
- Library personal appearance form - note: a personal appearance form must be completed by each participant being filmed.
Your filming or photo shoot request is only confirmed once you have received acceptance of the booking via email.
Things to consider
- Forms should be sent seven days prior to the filming. This allows us to plan ahead to accommodate the needs of all our users.
- During peak periods we do not allow filming to take place in the Library as the high demand for quiet study space takes precedence at this time.
- You must seek users' permissions to be filmed during shots of the Library or its interior.
- We may refuse requests for filming in areas which may impact on other students - this might involve filming in public areas during busier times. In these circumstances, we recommend that filming takes place early in the morning when the Library is less busy.
- Please inform us if you will be bringing any bulky equipment - a risk assessment should be carried out by the person/people undertaking the filming, and the on duty Library Supervisor will check that the set-up is safe regarding Health and Safety concerns.
- The Library only authorises current Roehampton student/staff requests. Any crew members who are not existing members of the University will need to note this in the request form in advance.
- University of Roehampton's Data Protection Policy.
Display and Exhibition Space in the Library
We have three main display areas in the Library that can be booked individually or together by staff, students and external users.
They can be used for marking key historical, social or national awareness events, displaying academic work and achievements, and promoting societies or other University events.
If you want to request to use the space, please complete a Display and Exhibition Space Booking Form.
Things to consider
- It is essential to book display space well in advance to avoid disappointment – we recommend requesting space at least three months in advance.
- Displays have to be engaging and representative of the University. They must look professional, visually coherent and accurate, with a clear title or theme and information on the topic.
- The display content needs to be approved before the display goes live to ensure it meets the Library display guidelines. We may offer suggestions to change some information and may also choose not to display sensitive or controversial material, or content we deem not to meet our guidelines.