One of the UK's largest libraries for arts, humanities & social sciences with over 2 million books, 50 special collections and 1,800 archival collections.
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Libraries and collections
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The University of London boasts one of the UK's largest academic libraries for the arts, humanities and social sciences, offering an unparalleled resource for researchers in the UK and internationally. Our special collections and specialist libraries offer a wealth of unique knowledge and expertise for researchers.
Each year, we welcome students and researchers, from our Federal Member Institutions, the rest of the UK, and around the world, who want to access these unparalleled resources. Researchers can benefit from special collections of manuscripts, archives and rare books, with particular strengths in literature and the arts, sociology, politics and economics.
Our strengths extend beyond the wealth of our materials. We are committed to offering students and researchers the structure, support and access they need to fully benefit from our collections.
Our Online Library also provides access to online books, e-journals and databases for the University’s 40,000 distance learning students. Access the Online Library.
Senate House Library
The world-renowned Senate House Library, in collaboration with the four specialist libraries in the School of Advanced Study, provide millions of books, journals and digital resources.
Services for students and researchers
Our Virtual Reading Room service offers researchers from around the world the opportunity to consult our Special Collections and Archives remotely using a high-res camera. With support from one of our expert team, this free service is available to both library members and external researchers.
Learn more about the Virtual Reading Room.
We offer a comprehensive training programme – from written guides and video tutorials to workshops and webinars – helping researchers develop vital skills in using the resources in the library and beyond.
Learn more about research training resources.
In addition to subject-expert librarians, researchers are also able to schedule appointments with academic librarians and archivists to discuss further support for their research.
Learn more about research support.
Specialist libraries
The combined Library of the Institute of Classical Studies and the Hellenic and Roman Societies is home to more than 150,000 volumes. It offers a key resource for international researchers in the languages, literature, history, art, archaeology and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.
Visit the Institute of Classical Studies library.
The Warburg Library holds international importance.
Housing over 380,000 volumes, it offers the largest collection in the world focused on Renaissance studies and the survival of the classical tradition. The Warburg Institute Photographic Collection comprises some 400,000 photographs of sculptures, paintings, prints, tapestries and other forms of imagery, while its Archive holds the papers of the Institute’s founder, Aby M. Warburg and of other distinguished scholars closely associated with it, from the early days in Hamburg to the present.
Visit the The Warburg Institute library.
The National Research Library for Law holds over 300,000 legal texts, online databases and focused legal research projects. It is a national and international resource for legal research and serves a large number of subscribing lawyers.
Visit the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies library.
The Wohl Library houses a reference collection of over 200,000 books and journals, including a wealth of primary sources covering the history of Western Europe and its colonial history, from the fifth century to the present.
Visit the Institute of Historical Research library.
