Using us for reference access
If you wish to use our resources and services, you should initially report to one of our helpdesks or to the library staff at Faculty of Health and Social Care libraries where you will be asked to fill in a visitors form and provide photo and address ID. (Examples are listed further down the page e.g. a driving licence). Library staff will be pleased to advise and direct you. Please note that anyone who is younger than 18 years old (unless registered on a course at the University of Chester) must be accompanied by an adult.
Access to these resources are only permitted during standard staffed hours. Access is not permitted outside of these and users will be advised to leave.
Joining us as an external borrower
We are happy for non-members of the University to join us as external borrowers.
There is an annual fee of £75 for this, free of charge for University of Chester graduates. External members who will become students of the University in the next semester may register for a part year for £25.
As an external borrower, you can borrow four items from the main collections for three weeks. Normal library regulations, including fines for the late return of books, apply. The main collections are the academic stock, excluding the short loan collection, children's books, school experience material, and audio-visual equipment and material. Journals are not available for loan to any borrower.
Photocopying facilities are available from our helpdesks but external borrowing rights do not include additional or specialist services such as interlibrary loan.
Getting online and access to eResources
The University of Chester supports widening access to electronic resources where licensing agreements and University regulations on the use of IT facilities permit.
We provide access for visitors and external users to: the internet; those electronic information resources we subscribe to which allow walk-in access for visitors; access to standard desktop software and printing facilities charged at the current rate. We are happy to provide a basic orientation for these services but they are generally expected to be used independently.
Use of these facilities must be within the library premises and for educational purposes.
You will be asked to sign our Walk-in Access Agreement if you wish to access the internet or those of our electronic resources that allow access to non-University of Chester members while you are within our library premises. You will also need to provide photographic ID and proof of your address. Examples of acceptable documents include:
Photo and Address ID
- Current driving licence
Photo ID
- Passport
- National ID card
- Other official ID (e.g. council employee)
Address details
- UK bank, mortgage or credit card statement (within last 3 months)
- Utility bill (within last 3 months)
- Residence permit (current)
- Household or motor insurance (last 12 months)
A current list of electronic resources that allow access to non-University of Chester members while you are within our library premises can be found on our library catalogue. Other electronic resources to which the University of Chester subscribes may allow walk-in access for visitors. Please contact us if you have any specific queries about this.
SCONUL Vacation Access Scheme
Under the SCONUL Vacation Access Scheme, undergraduate students and postgraduate students following taught courses at other higher education institutions can have access to University of Chester library facilities during the University's standard opening hours.
To use University of Chester library facilities during vacations, students should show their ID or library card to helpdesk staff and sign the Visitors' Book on each visit. We participate in the eduroam service and photocopying facilities are available from our helpdesks.
The SCONUL Access scheme is distinct from this service. Information about using our libraries through SCONUL Access is available here.
University of Chester graduates
Graduates of the University of Chester are gifted free of charge lifetime external borrower membership. For more information please contact LIS Customer Services on 01244 511234 / LIS.Helpdesk@chester.ac.uk or visit us in person, at a helpdesk during normal office hours.