Information for external visitors
The University of York Library is open to visitors and members of the public.
If you don't have a University Card, please visit the Library reception desk to the right of the turnstiles in the main Library building. You will be issued with a temporary card which will allow you to enter the Library for the day. Visitors can enter the King's Manor Library without a card.
If you would like to use the main Library on a long-term basis (eg. more than a month), please ask for a long-term access card at the Library Help Desk. York residents may also be able to take advantage of our York Community Membership and borrow items: follow the Membership link below.
Accessing books, journals and other physical resources
Anyone can visit the main Library or King's Manor Library to browse the resources on our shelves and use them for reference.
You can search our library catalogue from home, or from the Library Catalogue PCs on each floor of the Library.
In order to take books out of the Library building, you must be a Library member. Visitors and members of the public may be able to join the Library as members.
Getting here
Information about finding the Library, public transport and car parking
Membership
Find out how you can join the Library and borrow items
Library Catalogue
Browse all our resources on YorSearch
E-resources access for visitors
The Walk-in Access scheme can be used by external members and visitors to access a range of electronic resources whose licence agreements allow use by anyone on the Library premises. You'll find many of our online resources via the eResources Guide, but please note that not all will be available - see the 'Excluded e-Resources' below for more info.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer full or remote access to our e-resources for non-university members due to the licence terms with our providers.
The service is available on a first come, first served basis during full service hours at the JB Morrell Library. It is not available during self-service hours or at the King's Manor Library.
Using the Walk-in Access service
To use the service, please ask at the Library and IT Help Desk. You will need to provide proof of identity and sign and agree to the Walk-in Access Terms and Conditions each time you use the service.
The Walk-in Access computer terminals have a USB port to enable you to save information. Unfortunately printing is not available for external visitors at this time.
Please ensure you bring with you one of the following forms of ID:
- Driving Licence
- Passport
- Sconul Access confirmation email & home institution card
- Photo ID card from home institution (FE students)
You won't be able to use the service without producing the specified identification.
- You must only access the electronic resources from dedicated computers within University Library premises.
- You must only access those electronic resources which are available to Walk-in Users.
- Usage must be for educational purposes only e.g. teaching and training, course work, research activities, independent study etc. For the avoidance of doubt, use for commercial or business purposes is prohibited.
- You must abide by the guidance on conduct in the University Library as outlined in the Library regulations. We require that you respect the needs of other users of the Library, and treat Library staff with respect and courtesy. Please observe signs and guidance on the use of the University Library.
You must abide by the University’s Regulation 11: Using University Information, which applies to all networks and systems provided by the University.
[Library, Archives and Learning Services, November 2022]
We regret that we cannot make the following electronic resources available to Walk-in Users, due to licence terms and conditions imposed on us by the publisher or resource provider.
Individual ejournals
- Acoustics Today
- ALISS Quarterly
- Annales Historiques de la Révolution Française
- Babel: The Language Magazine
- Balungan: A Publication of the American Gamelan Institute
- Catalyst (Jacobin Foundation)
- CEPR Discussion Paper series Centre for Economic Policy Research
- Children and Young People Now
- CIPFAstats archive services statistics
- Community Practitioner
- Crime, Histoire & Sociétés = Crime, History & Societies
- Economist.com
- Ends Report
- EUobserver.com
- Financial Times (FT.com)
- Folio (Materials Development Association)
- For the Learning of Mathematics
- Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy
- Journal of Development Studies (Mattersburger Kreis für Entwicklungspolitik)
- Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics
- Journal of Risk and Governance
- Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
- Journal of the North Atlantic
- Lloyd's Law Reporter
- Lloyd's Law Reports
- Lloyd's Law Reports Plus
- Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly
- London Review of Books
- Marine Ecology Progress Series
- Mental Health Nursing: The Journal of the Community Psychiatric Nurses Association
- MIT Sloan Management Review
- Monthly Review (Monthly Review Foundation)
- New Left Review
- Nursing Times (direct access)
- Positive News
- The Art Newspaper
- The Journal of Nursing Education
- The Pharmaceutical Journal
- The Practising Midwife
- Theatre Record
- Times Higher Education (direct access)
- Urban Morphology: Journal of the International Seminar on Urban Form
- Wonkhe
Ejournal collections
- Allen Press Miscellaneous journals
- American Association for Cancer Research journals
- British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery journals
- Casalini Torrossa Journals
- Duncker & Humblot eLibrary eJournals
- Érudit Journals
- Exact Editions journals
- Harvard Educational Publishing Group journals
- International Press journals
- Kluwer Law Online Journals
- Legalease Law Journal Collection
- Peeters journals
- Royal College of Nursing journals
- Whiting & Birch journals
Databases including ebooks
- Audio Engineering Society E-Library
- BankFocus
- Beckett Digital Manuscript Service
- Box of Broadcasts (BoB)
- British Standards Online Custom Collection
- China Stock Market and Accounting Research Database (CSMAR)
- Complete Anatomy
- CRSP/Compustat
- Datastream
- Digimap
- Ebook Central
- Education Policy and Research Service
- Elsevier E-Library
- English Corpora
- Euromonitor Passport
- ExecuComp (Compustat ExecuComp)
- Financial Times (FT.com)
- Granth Sanjeevani
- IBISWorld
- Index of Medieval Art
- ITER
- Kanopy
- Kluwer Arbitration Online
- Lexis+ UK
- Medical Law & Research (e-book)
- Mintel Academic
- Mintel Market Sizes
- Nexis Advance UK
- Practical Law
- Refinitiv Workspace
- SciFinder Scholar
- SciFinder-n
- Shakespeare's Words
- Sketch Engine
- Social Work Connect
- TRILT: Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching
- vLex Justis
- Westlaw UK including Practical Law
- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS)
- Wonkhe
Please note:
- These resources may only be used for educational purposes. Use for commercial purposes is prohibited.
- Library staff are only able to provide minimal support to individuals using this service. The resources have extensive online help pages and we would expect you to make use of these.
- The service does not provide access to email, software (eg Microsoft Office) or the internet.
Information for alumni
York Graduates can join the Library as an external member, which will allow you to access the Library and borrow books. As a member, you will be able to access some of our e-resources through the Walk-In Access scheme.
Alumni and retired staff are also able to access JSTOR, an archive collection of academic journals covering a wide range of subjects. You do not need to join the Library for this service as access is provided by York for Life: see the 'Virtual Library' section of the following page:
We are investigating extending the services we provide for York graduates, and value your input. Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about the Library services, or if you have any ideas for services you would be interested in.