Queen Mary libraries house over 1,000,000 print and electronic resources, and the Acquisitions Team buys, catalogues and adds approximately 5,000 new volumes each year.
We manage the collections at all Queen Mary sites (Mile End, Whitechapel and West Smithfield) and work closely with the biggest publishers and vendors to make sure you have what you need, when you need it.
The easiest way to discover and access resources is through Library Search. Use the Books, ebooks and DVDs tab to find specific books and ebooks and use the Articles and more tab for broader results.
Our A-Z list of Databases is also a great way to explore the wide array of scholarly resources and packages, acquired to support teaching and learning.
The resources you need may also be available on Reading Lists Online, an online application, created by your module tutors and listing all the scholarly resources you need.
Need something for your course but can’t find it on the catalogue? Let us know and we’ll try to get hold of it as quickly as possible.
To order scholarly resource you can either:
To make the process work seamlessly for you (and for us), please bear the following points in mind:
We have an e-first policy and only purchase print copies if electronic access is unavailable, assuming the cost is reasonable. If you feel we need to make an exception due to a specific learning need on your course, please get in touch to discuss with us.
Ebooks are quick to acquire, accessible 24/7 from any location and don’t take up shelf space.
Here is a quick guide to ebook licence types and terminology:
If you are an academic staff member planning to use a Library ebook as part as an exam, please contact us to check details of user licenses and access links.
Evidence shows that in many cases multiple copies of titles are not used. Therefore, the number of copies/licences we acquire is based on the following quotas:
Essential
Unlimited concurrent user licence if available OR if unavailable, purchase single user licences, 1 per 20 students, up to a maximum of 10 in total.
1 copy per 20 students up to a maximum of 10 in total.
Recommended
1 licence
1 copy
Optional
1 licence if specifically requested (via Reading List ‘note for library’ or email)
1 copy if specifically requested (via Reading List ‘note for library’ or email)
Non-reading list
1 licence if specifically requested
1 copy if specifically requested
We monitor turnaways from ebooks and holds on print copies and will promptly purchase additional copies where it is shown to be necessary.
If books are requested which go over a cost threshold, the academic or library rep. will be consulted to make them aware of the cost, ensure that this is proportionate to the title’s requirement, and to investigate whether cheaper alternatives are available. They will also ask for high-cost titles to be actively promoted to users as a condition of purchase. The threshold will be (a) £500 for an individual request for student numbers which are less than 50 (to include the total value of multiple copies/licences) and (b) £800 for student numbers which are greater than 50 (to include the total value of multiple copies/licences).
The library has entered a partnership with John Smith & Sons to provide books/etextbooks for individual student use.
Rather than purchasing books for the library collection, schools now have the freedom to acquire books directly for their students, ensuring key texts are available for student use.
If you are interested in providing books/etextbooks directly to your students, contact Jenni Morton – John Smith’s.
When purchasing ebooks, we make sure the supplier platform includes an accessibility statement that has been verified as Gold (at least 75%) by ASPIRE in 2020 or later.
Accessibility statements from our main ebook suppliers are below:
VLeBooks - Accessibility Guidance
EBSCO ebook Accessibility User Guide and FAQs
ProQuest Platform Accessibility Statement
If you have any further questions about e-book accessibility, please contact us.