What is SCONUL Access

SCONUL Access is a reciprocal scheme which allows many university library users to borrow or use books and journals at other libraries which belong to the scheme. The scheme covers most of the university libraries in the UK and Ireland.

To qualify for SCONUL Access, you must be in good standing with your home library (i.e. have no outstanding fines or overdue books).

SCONUL Access for visitors to the University of Bristol Library

Reading and reference access

As a SCONUL Access visitor you can sign in by showing both your university/library ID card and a print out of your SCONUL email of authorisation, except during access restriction periods (stated above at relevant times).

Register for borrowing

As a SCONUL Access visitor (except full-time undergraduates) you can register for borrowing by emailing lib-access@bristol.ac.uk with:

• a copy of your SCONUL email of authorisation
• a completed SCONUL Access Application Form 2019 (Office document, 21kB)
• a scan or digital photo of the front and back of your university/library ID card
• a recent, colour, passport-style photograph of yourself as jpeg attachment

What happens next

• We will issue you with a University of Bristol SCONUL borrowing card within 5 working days of receiving all necessary documents.
• We will email you when the card is ready to collect from our Information Desk in the Arts and Social Sciences Library.
• We will email you your library account details.
• Important: You can borrow or reserve books from the Arts & Social Sciences library. Any print items from our other libraries (whether available or out on loan) must be requested via our Book Retrieval Service

Additional information and restrictions

• You have access to the Arts & Social Sciences Library and Wills Memorial Library during staffed hours.
• You can borrow up to 5 items at a time from any of our libraries: directly from the Arts & Social Sciences or via the Book Retrieval Service.
• You will not have access to University of Bristol computers and electronic resources.
• Free WiFi is available:
  • if your organisation participates in eduroam, please use your institutional login to connect to eduroam;
  • if you can't use eduroam, you can connect using The Cloud.
• We have access restrictions during our revision and assessment periods in January and April/May. Please check the top of this page, exact dates will be displayed at relevant times.