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Self Service hours in the library
The Morrell Library & IT Help Desk is open 10am - 4pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, the library is considered Self Service. This page will explain what that means and answer many common questions for anyone looking for information when the Help Desk is closed.
The library is open 8am to midnight, seven days a week - except during the last four weeks of each Semester when we open 24/7. Whenever the library is open we have staff working on site, and there will be someone at Reception who can help you with questions about the building, our services and our policies.
The physical Help Desk in the Morrell is open 10am - 4pm during the week, and staff can provide answers to more detailed questions about your account and about finding resources.
If you find yourself needing guidance and the Help Desk is closed, you may be able to find answers to your questions below.
Getting support
Our phone and text numbers, email address, and Chat can all be found on our Contact page.
Our phone support will be moving to between the hours of 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. However you can phone at any time and leave a message, and if you provide contact details we will get back to you.
You can email us at any time and we will still be working towards responding within 3 working days.
From 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm Monday to Friday, our Chat Service is run by Help Desk Staff. Outside these hours the Chat service still runs 24/7, but it is supported by our Chatbot or staffed by other librarians around the world. They won't have access to your library account, but can refer questions to us so that we can respond at a later time.
You can still get basic IT Support from the Reception point between 9am and 5pm on weekdays. If staff at the reception point are unable to help you with your query, you can ask them to contact IT Support for further in-person help. If we can't resolve your query initially, we may need to make an appointment.
Between 9am and 5pm on weekdays you can also phone IT Support on +44 (0)1904 323838 (and choose Option 1), and you can email them at itsupport@york.ac.uk. You can find more information on IT Support on their webpages.
Below are some direct links to specific useful info:
- Connecting to the University wifi / Eduroam when on campus
- IT Security - Two Factor Authentication (2fa)
- Your IT Account
You can find more information on IT Support on their webpages.
You’re very welcome! We have a page full of useful information for visitors here.
Books, borrowing and your library account
You can find out more about how many books you can borrow, for how long, and how to access online resources on our Find and Use Resources page.
You’re welcome to browse the shelves, which are arranged by theme - you’ll find a list of subjects and what floor they’re on, over on the large signs at the bottom of the stairs up to Floors 1 - 3. We have over a million books in this building so it may be easier to search for what you need on YorSearch - type in some keywords and it will tell you what we have, and how and where to access it.
To borrow a book, you don’t need to bring it to the desk - just use one of our Self-Issue Machines. You’ll find two on Floor 0 and one on Floor 2.
There’s more information on Borrowing here.
Use the Self-Return Machine on Floor 0 of the Morrell, or you can post items into the bookdrop outside (to the left of the exit).
You can do this on YorSearch - login via the link at the top right corner of the YorSearch homepage then click on your name and go to My Loans - you can also access requests, saved items and search history via this menu.
You’ll find this on the Hold Shelf, which is next to the Self-Return Machine on Floor 0 of the Morrell.
Come speak to us at Reception! If your Interlending item is borrowable, we’ll be able to show you how you can issue the item to your account. If the item is “For use in Library only” you’ll need to come back and visit us across service hours, Monday-Friday 10-4: this is because the library who owns the book has stricter conditions on how the item can be used, and our Help Desk staff will need to issue it to you.
Our buildings and facilities
Find out more about the library buildings on our Visit and Study page.
You’re welcome to book a study space: one floor of each building contains bookable spaces (Morrell Floor 2, Fairhurst Floor 1 and Burton Floor 1); the rest are first-come, first-served and don’t require booking.
Yes, we have Interactive Library maps here. If you’d prefer, we also have Library floor plans as a PDF (1,601kb)
Our digital labs are both on Floor 1 of the Fairhurst. Find out more about our Labs on our Research & Digital Creativity pages.
You’ll find our Student Kitchen with hot and cold drinking water taps, microwaves, and sink, on Floor 1 of the Fairhurst.
This is on Floor 0 of the Burton; you can find more information about the Family Study Room here.