Accessibility statement

Visiting us - Covid-19

The Library is open all year round to members of the University, and currently to external visitors as well. This page gives some more information on what to expect when you visit.

Services we're offering

  • The main Library on Campus West is currently open 8am until midnight, seven days a week. During the January exam period we'll be open 24 hours - from 8 am on Monday 10th January through to midnight on Sunday 16th January.
  • We strongly recommend you wear face coverings in our buildings to help keep everyone safe.
  • We now offer a mix of bookable and non-bookable study spaces. This system came in from December 2021, and there's a video explaining how it all works here. There are more details here on available study spaces across all our buildings. 
  • You can get Library and IT support from our Help Desk. Our physical Help Desk is available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but you’ll find it quicker to contact us online. You’re also helping to keep our users and staff safe. We continue to offer a virtual Help Desk from 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week.
  • The Library Cafe is open 7 days a week: here are the full opening times for the cafe and other campus Eateries.
  • There are 100 Laptop loans available at the Library: 80 four-hour loan laptops in the Morrell and Fairhurst, and 20 Long-Loan Laptops which you can keep for up to a week, again at the Fairhurst. You can also borrow laptops at King's Manor Library and at the Piazza Building.

Other Library sites, and the Archives

  • King's Manor Library is now closed until the January 11th for refurbishment. Read about how we're developing the library here. 
  • The Borthwick Institute for Archives has reopened for University of York staff and students. Visits are by appointment only, Mondays to Wednesdays. Contact the Borthwick for more information or to make a booking.
  • You can study in the Library space on the top floor of the Piazza Learning Centre without booking.
  • York Minster Library is open for research appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, which can be requested through our online booking form. You can request books via YorSearch for collection at either the Morrell or King’s Manor Library, or request a postal loan, using the Book Takeaway service

Go on a Virtual Tour of the Library so you know what to expect when you visit us:

https://youtu.be/Gp3Ini9mMFA

We are open to external users 

We have re-opened to the public and other external users, with some limitations.

There is bookable study space specifically for external users (if you're not a member of the University then please do use that link and not the other study space booking links, may not work for you), and we're also open for browsing - if you already have borrowing rights, you can borrow books too, but we can't currently register new users for borrowing at this time. All the Covid security measures apply equally to everyone, so we'd encourage you to wear a face-covering in our buildings. 

At the moment, the services for external users is limited to what is described above - study space and browsing. Walk-in access to e-resources, and use of the photocopiers, isn't possible. If you are a student at another University we can welcome you as a member of the public; the SCONUL access scheme has also now resumed.

Keeping everyone safe

Our main priority is making our services work for everyone whilst keeping everyone safe, and we'd really like your help with this. 

We strongly recommend you wear a face-covering (particularly when moving around the building) and although social-distancing regulations have been relaxed, we'd encourage everyone to give each other space and help people feel comfortable. Please keep the windows open (it helps keep the library open!) and use the hand sanitiser you'll find all round our buildings. If you have any questions or are worried about any of this, please speak to our staff. 

Find out more

We hope that this gives you a better understanding of what is happening when. As soon as we have useful information on any of these topics we’ll let you know via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Library News section of the website.

The pandemic is currently going through one of the most difficult periods yet, so we need everyone, staff and students alike, to help us make this work. The wellbeing of our community at York is always the priority. Please help us keep everyone as safe as possible! 

If you have any questions about any of this, please get in touch.