The Library
Quicklinks
General | Finding Your Materials | Research and Study Skills | London Libraries | Useful Links
The recently renovated BU London Library is located in the basement of 43 Harrington Gardens. The Library is a place for quiet study, and is a food-free, drink-free zone. Bottled water is permitted.
Here you will find material to support your studies, in the form of books, journals, and articles. There is also a Reference collection, a comprehensive collection of DVDs (Region 2), a collection of fiction works, some course-related but also for leisure reading, and copies of four national daily newspapers.
The Library collection is catalogued according to the Library of Congress subject classification system, which uses a combination of letters and numbers to describe the subject of a book. When looking for a particular book on the shelf, first find the Call number of the item by using the Library catalogue to search for it. Then go to the shelf and locate the letters, then the numbers, e.g. BJ 1481 .H14 2005, on the spine label of the item you are seeking.
There are 9 computers in the Library for student use and space for 10 laptop users. There are 2 black and white printers (no colour) and one photocopier. There is no fax machine in the Library. Printing is all programmed to be double-sided, in an effort to reduce paper use.
Charges:
Printing is free
Photocopying 10p per page
Loan Periods:
Library books are issued for a 2-week loan period with a renewal option on most books.
High-demand items are limited to an Overnight, or a 3 or 7 day loan period.
DVDs are issued for 3 days.
Library hours of opening:
Mondays and Thursdays, 8.30am - 8pm
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 8.30am - 4.30pm
Study Days Library hours:
Sat: 12 noon to 6pm
Sun: 12 noon to 6pm
(Please note that study weekends occur just prior to exam weeks. Please check your programme calendar for specific dates.)
Finding Your Materials
The BU Library catalogue, KOHA, is accessible online, from any location.
Library materials can be renewed via My Account on the Library homepage.
Many of your required course readings can be found on the BU London website, giving you instant access to the material. You will need to login to see this material using your individual student username and password, which can be found on your BU London Personal Page, under the IT tab. Simply find your Programme and either scroll down to the Academics section, or for the London Internship Programme, click on the appropriate term's course page. All Syllabi and Course Materials are downloadable at the bottom of the page.
Through the links to external resources on the Library webpage, you are also able to access several online databases to further support your studies, such as JSTOR, Pinakes, Intute and British Academy.
Research and Study Skills
In the UK, students are expected to be proactive when choosing what to read from their reading lists. Librarians do not provide lists of suggested books and they do not select books for you. The BU London library may not stock all of the books on your reading list and it might be necessary to visit one of the many excellent libraries to be found in London. Most academic libraries in London are reference only for all users; this means you will not be able to borrow books from them.
Librarians everywhere are happy to help if asked (but be aware that they will not always ask you if you need help no matter how lost you look!). Librarians and staff in art galleries, museums, or specialist archives may see their main role as preserving and maintaining their collections rather than as customer service representatives. However, if you take the time to find out what rules particular institutions have, behave courteously, and present yourself as a serious scholar, you will be able to benefit from their internationally renowned collections.
The BU Librarian will be happy to help at any time with locating sources and compiling bibliographies. You can visit the library in person or send an email to Paul Kelvin.
London Libraries
As a temporary resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea you are entitled to join the local public library. As a member you will be able to borrow books and other materials, will have remote access to on-line resources such as newspaper archives, and be eligible to use other libraries in the borough, including the excellent Chelsea library in the King's Road. Because of your residency requirements you must join the library within the first six weeks of your stay in London. You will need to apply at the Membership desk of the Kensington Central Library in person, making sure to take your student ID card with you. See also the link in resources listed at end of this page.
Kensington Central Library
Phillimore Walk
London W8 7RX
Tel: 020 7937 2542
Nearest Tube: High Street Kensington
Chelsea Library
Chelsea Old Town Hall
King's Road
London SW3 5EZ
Tel: 020 7252 6056
Nearest Tube: Sloane Square
Other London Libraries
Information about other London libraries can be found via the link at the end of this page, and is available as a leaflet called Libraries in London from the BU Library.
The BU London library does not stock every book on your reading list and it might be necessary for you to visit other libraries, though most academic libraries in London are reference only for most users, so you will not be able to borrow their books. However, if you take the time to find out what rules particular libraries have, behave courteously, and present yourself as a serious scholar, you will be able to benefit from consulting materials from a variety of renowned collections and libraries.
The BU Librarian will be happy to help at any time with locating sources and compiling bibliographies. You can visit the library in person or send an email to Paul Kelvin.