Using other libraries
If Goldsmiths library does not have the material you require for your research, there are other libraries that you can use for either reference or borrowing purposes. For some libraries, your Goldsmiths ID card is sufficient; for others you might need to apply for SCONUL Access. Please make sure you understand the requirements for each library. Alternatively, you can request an inter-library loan of a book or a journal article from the library catalogue. Choose Inter-Library Loan and then sign-in. Use the book or journal article templates to make your request.
Senate House Library
Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London. Current students and staff of Goldsmiths are entitled to free membership. To register just head to explore.gold/shl and select the relevant form. Membership entitles you to borrow books and to access electronic resources off-campus. Senate House Library's catalogue allows you to search by author, title, periodical, ISBN, etc. You can also log-in to renew books. Books should be returned to Senate House directly, not to Goldsmiths.
Other library catalogues
First, you will need to know which libraries hold the materials you are looking for. There are three main catalogues you can search.
| COPAC provides unified access to around ninety UK and Irish academic, national and specialist library catalogues. Search by author, title, ISBN, etc. to receive a list of results of libraries | |
| Search25 helps you discover library resources across London and the South-East. You can see where the libraries are and find out how to visit them. Search by author, title, ISBN, etc. | |
| Worldcat allows you to find what you want in a library near you. This searches internationally, although you can enter your postcode to reveal the closest libraries to you. |
Sconul Access
SCONUL Access is a scheme which allows many university library users to borrow or use books and journals at other libraries which belong to the scheme.
To apply for access, visit this page and then complete the two steps asking which kind of student you are and your home institution. You will see all university libraries you are eligible to use. You can apply to use a specific library but you will actually have access to all libraries that participate in the scheme. Once you have applied, you will receive confirmation from us shortly after than your application has been successful. Print/Show this email to the library you then wish to visit. Reference or borrowing permissions will be provided depending on the level of student you are.
British Museum Anthropology Library and Research Centre
The Anthropology Library and Research Centre is located near the north entrance to the Museum and is home to the Anthropology Library, as well as offering access to information about ethnographic collections and an object identification service.
The Anthropology Library is one of the world’s major specialist anthropology libraries. Formed by the amalgamation of the Museum’s Ethnography library and the library of the Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) it now contains over 120,000 volumes, covering all aspects of anthropology, but with a particular strength in material culture. The collection covers the whole world and the library continues to collect both domestic and overseas material, where appropriate
Public Libraries
An underrated library service for academic research is actually your local public library. Most will have access to various electronic resources that might be of use, e.g. newspaper archives. Registering with your local library is usually simple. Here is a list of library websites for local boroughs:
