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Our research libraries

Along with Senate House Library, our libraries make up one of the world's most significant collections in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Located in the centre of London the eight collaborating libraries, at Senate House and in the immediate vicinity, provide services to over 100,000 registered readers every year.

The libraries, which include a strong online presence, deliver essential services to individuals, research teams, students and partners from almost 200 countries.

Senate House Library is the central library for the University of London and the School of Advanced Study. Along with the seven specialist libraries affiliated with the School’s institutes, it provides access to millions of books and journals, digital resources, and beautiful study spaces.

Other research libraries

  • Institute of Classical Studies library
    Two major collections: that of the Institute of Classical Studies and that of the Joint Hellenic Society and Roman Society.
  • The Warburg Institute library
    The largest collection in the world focused on Renaissance studies and the history of the classical tradition. 
  • Institute of Commonwealth Studies library
    This extensive research-level collection covers the Commonwealth and its member nations across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Oceania and Europe.
  • Institute of Advanced Legal Studies library
    The national research library for law - with over 300,000 legal texts, online databases and focused legal research projects.
  • Institute of Latin American Studies library
    This extensive research-level collection covers Latin America and the Caribbean. It combines the Institute of Latin American Studies (formerly the Institute for the Study of the Americas) and Senate House Library collections.
  • Institute of Historical Research library
    A reference collection of published primary sources covering the history of Western Europe and its colonial history from the fifth century to the present.
  • Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies library
    The Germanic Studies Library and its archives provide a unique resource of German language and literature. The Romance Collection contains Romance literature and criticism - resources available in French and Occitan; Spanish, Catalan and Galician; Italian; Portuguese; and Romanian.