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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. 
• We strongly recommend you wear face coverings in our buildings to help keep everyone safe.
• You need to book a study space. There are more details here on available study spaces. We have now reintroduced some Group Study spaces - you can chose these from the Capacity drop-down menu on the Booking Calendar. 
• 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 open for study space, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. From October 2 it will also be open on Saturdays during term-time, 11am - 5pm.
• 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 book places to study in the Piazza Learning Centre via the booking calendar.
• 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
• Laptop loans are available, at the Morrell and the Piazza Building.

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; we don't yet have confirmation about when the SCONUL access scheme will resume.

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.