Additional help

If you are a disabled student, please register with the Disability & Dyslexia Service and give permission for your details to be passed on to the Library so that the additional services below can be made available to you.

What additional services are available to me?

Book fetching service

You may submit requests for books to be collected from the shelves for you. Requests received before 12.00 (midday) will be available from 12.00 the following day, excluding weekends. We can fetch and hold up to six items at one time, but please ensure that you are able to collect all requested items in one visit. Satisfying these requests depends on the availability of the book(s) in the Library at that time.

Requested books can only be collected from the Help Desk during core hours.  Request this service via phone (+44 (0)1895 266141), email, visit the Help Desk in person, or request online.

 

 

Extended loans

Loan periods for certain Library resources will be extended for disabled students.

Loan period	Extends to
1 week loan	2 weeks
Longloan	Can only be recalled 14 days after borrowing.

Nominated borrower

You may authorise a nominated person to borrow items on your behalf. The nominated borrower needs to bring personal ID and a letter of authorisation from you in order to register and borrow books for you. Please speak to a member of Library staff at the Helpdesk if you require this service.

Mediated photocopying

This service, where a member of staff photocopies the items you require on your behalf, is available at the same price as self-service photocopying for disabled Library users.  

To request this service, please visit the Library Helpdesk or email us. The timescale for delivery will be agreed at the time of request. If you are able to reclaim photocopying costs from the DSA, please ensure you obtain a receipt from the money loader machine or a member of Library staff as proof of photocopying.

Please note that items may only be photocopied in accordance with copyright law.

Coloured paper for photocopying

Materials produced by the Library (subject guides, database guides, etc.) can be photocopied onto coloured paper on request. Please speak to a member of Library staff at the Helpdesk, or email us if you require this service.

Electronic documents

If you are having difficulty accessing specific online documents from databases or websites, you may request an electronic copy of the article. Please note, this service is only offered when the Library already subscribes to the item in question or the information is freely available on the internet. 

To make a request, please contact your department's Academic Liaison Librarian, providing as much information as possible, eg: author, year, article title, journal name, volume and issue, as well as the name of the database, e-resource or website if known. Where PDF versions are unavailable, your Librarian will liaise with you as to the most appropriate electronic format, seeking advice from the Disability and Dyslexia Service if necessary.

Who should I speak to about requesting additional help in the Library?

For additional help on how to access our resources and services, please speak to any member of staff at the Library Helpdesk or contact your Academic Liaison Librarian.

Alternatively you may email or contact us by telephone on +44 (0)1895 266141.

What is the physical access to the Library like?

There is sloped access down to the Bannerman Centre ground floor and double automatic doors at the building entrance. Entry to the Library itself is via University card activated gates, one of which is extra wide for wheelchair users. Every floor is accessible by lifts of which there are two.

Specialist equipment

Height adjustable tables are located on the ground floor of the Library.

The Disability and Dyslexia service (based in the Bannerman Centre) maintains a list of equipment available throughout the University on its website. A range of equipment, as well as training and support in its use, is provided by the Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) to help you with your studies. The ATC is situated on the third floor of the Bannerman Centre, but please note, there is no direct access to it from the Library. 

DisabledGo: Accessibility guide to Brunel University

The Library provides the following additional services for Brunel students registered on distance programmes:

Book fetching service

You may submit requests for books to be collected from the shelves for you. Requests received before 12.00 (midday) will be available from 12.00 the following day, excluding weekends. We can fetch and hold up to six items at one time, but please ensure that you are able to collect all requested items in one visit. Satisfying these requests depends on the availability of the book(s) in the Library at that time.

Requested books can only be collected from the Help Desk during core hours.  Request this service via phone (+44 (0)1895 266141), email, visit the Help Desk in person, or request online.

 

Using other libraries

Universities

You may find it convenient to use the library of a university close to where you live. There is a specialist scheme for distance learners, called SCONUL Access which enables you to borrow from participating UK university libraries.

UK Public Libraries

Local public libraries offer access to a wide range of facilities and services, including: good printed reference material, internet access and access to some electronic resources. They also offer an interlibrary loans service so you can access printed material held elsewhere.

Libraries outside the UK

If you are based outside the UK you may be able to use the national, academic, public or professional bodies’ libraries in your host country. The British Council has a large network of libraries. Useful websites for locating information on such libraries are:

• Library of Congress gateway (access to LC's catalog and those at many other institutions)
• European Documentation Centres Worldwide
• Libdex: the Library Index (Libdex is a worldwide directory of library websites, web-based catalogues and other information)
• Libweb (currently lists over 8000 pages from libraries in 146 countries)

Accessing journals

Electronic journals

Many journals are available in full text electronically and can be accessed off campus. You can search for journal titles using the E-Journals A to Z or Library Search. You should have a Brunel network username and will need it to use this system. If you don’t yet have one, please contact the administrator in your academic department, who can arrange for you to be sent one.

Further information on accessing resources can be found on our Finding Information pages.

Paper journals

Some journal content is only available in paper format. If you are unable to visit to consult print journals in person we offer a scanning service: Request this service online. The cost of the service is £3 per article.

The Library, on receipt of your request will scan the journal article (within copyright law) and will send it to your university email address.

Materials not held by Brunel

If you require a copy of an item that is not held by Brunel University London Library, you could use another library (see above), however, due to license restrictions most libraries will only allow you to use their paper resources - not those they have electronically.

Alternatively, you may want to make use of our interlibrary loan service. A fee is charged for each successful application. Forms can be supplied by post and returned in the post for this service. You will need to send a cheque (payable to Brunel University) for the appropriate amount with your returned form. Journal articles and photocopies from conference proceedings are sent via the postal system to users. Books and other material have to be collected from the Library. Your local public library may also be able to offer document delivery services.

Accessing electronic resources

Library databases

The Library has a number of electronic databases which contain records giving details of publications including books, journal articles, conference papers and proceedings. You can use these databases to search for useful references on specific subjects.

These electronic databases are available through the Subject Pages.

Who can I speak to for more help in accessing resources?

Further help in finding resources to support your studies is available from our Finding Resources pages, from the Helpdesk or via library@brunel.ac.uk. Each subject area also has a dedicated Academic Liaison Librarian who can guide you through the resources available. Contact them by e-mail in the first instance.

Book fetching service

You may submit requests for books to be collected from the shelves for you. Requests received before 12.00 (midday) will be available from 12.00 the following day, excluding weekends. We can fetch and hold up to six items at one time, but please ensure that you are able to collect all requested items in one visit. Satisfying these requests depends on the availability of the book(s) in the Library at that time.

Requested books can only be collected from the Help Desk during core hours.  Request this service via phone (+44 (0)1895 266141), email, visit the Help Desk in person, or request online.

 

Material not available at Brunel Library

Material not available at Brunel Library can be requested via our inter library loan service. Journal articles and photocopies from conference proceedings can be sent through the post or via Secure Electronic Delivery. Books and other materials must be collected from the Library. Please note, there is a charge for successful inter library loan applications.

Your local public library may also be able to offer inter library loan services. 

Using Other Libraries

See our page for Searching and Using other Libraries.

The Library Helpdesk acts as the first point of contact for many enquiries, or you can ask a question online.
Academic Liaison Librarians are available to give you help and advice remotely by e-mail, as well as face-to-face.

Before You Go On Placement

We can give you help and advice by phone or by e-mail once you have started your placement, but you can save yourself time by making sure that you have assessed your library and information needs before you go on placement. You can access our e-resources while you are away, just use your Brunel network username and password and remember to use the Library website's links to access our subscriptions, eg: databases, e-books and e-journals which can be found via Library Search.

If you intend to visit another university with your laptop while you are away you may wish to register for the EduRoam service. See the Connect portal for more details. We recommend that you should always use the links to e-resources from these Library web pages. Should you have any difficulty connecting to any of the subscribed e-resources, however, you may find the Computer Centre's AnyConnect VPN Universal application useful. See the Connect portal and select the relevant service package for more details.

Book fetching service

You may submit requests for books to be collected from the shelves for you. Requests received before 12.00 (midday) will be available from 12.00 the following day, excluding weekends. We can fetch and hold up to six items at one time, but please ensure that you are able to collect all requested items in one visit. Satisfying these requests depends on the availability of the book(s) in the Library at that time.

Requested books can only be collected from the Help Desk during core hours.  Request this service via phone (+44 (0)1895 266141), email, visit the Help Desk in person, or request online.

 

SCONUL Access

If you are a student on thin sandwich, thick sandwich, teaching practice or any other type of work placement which lasts ten weeks or more, you are eligible to join the SCONUL Access scheme. This means that you will be able to join certain other university libraries and borrow some types of material from them.

Electronic resources

You can access many of the Library's services without coming into the University, such as the Library Search search tool, the Library catalogue, databases and electronic journal collections, which offer the full text of many journals. For more information, links to resources and guidance, see our Finding Information pages.

You may need to use these for literature searches and research. If you are unfamiliar with these resources, it would be a good idea to visit the Library before you go on placement.

Using Other Libraries

See our page for Searching and Using other Libraries.