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Library services

  • Personal guidance

    Our skills@cumbria service offers individual appointments to help you find the best library resources for your assignments.

  • Extensive resources

    If all our print books and ebooks were laid top-to-tail, they would be longer than Hadrian's Wall. (Hadrian’s wall = 84 miles)

  • 24-hour support

    You'll have access to the real-time personalised Ask a Librarian service around the clock including weekends and bank holidays.

Your University Library is here to support you at every stage of your time with us. We offer access to over 220,000 print books, and in our digital library to over 450,000 ebooks and 25,000 journals. Our network of libraries offers you inspiring, accessible and safe spaces in which to study.  Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will support you in making the most of these resources and develop the skills you need as a successful University of Cumbria student.  

Students at the university have full access to all library resources, services and facilities.  

If you are a visitor find out more here. 

Three students holding books and having a conversation while sitting around a small, low table in a library.

Ambleside Library

Ambleside library can be found within The Barn in the middle of the campus.  The library supports the subjects taught at this location including outdoor studies, environment and conservation, forestry, geography, and English literature. The library books and a selection of journals are located on the first floor of the Barn together with places to study.  Additional study spaces can be found on the ground floor along with the campus café. At the Student Enquiry Point (StEP) desk you will find our friendly staff to assist you to make the most of these library resources.   

Find out more about Ambleside Library including opening hours and location on our campus map.  

A female student working beside a computer in a library with an inspirational quote on the wall in front of her.

Brampton Road Library

The ground floor library at Brampton Road specialises in resources for the art's subject areas. There is a large collection of books to borrow and journals for use in the library. You can find a mix of group study areas or silent study space. Our friendly subject specialists can help you make the most of these resources. 

Learn more about Brampton Road library including Opening hours and location on our Campus map 

Two students studying at opposite sides of a table in a library.

Fusehill Street Library

Located on the top floor of the Skiddaw Building, our Fusehill Street campus library has a particular emphasis on health, psychology, social work, education, zoology, biosciences, policing, criminology, security and law. It includes a law library and our teaching practice collection. Our friendly staff can assist you with subject specific advice about library and skills queries plus support you to access our print and online collections. A range of flexible study spaces can be found in the library and the Learning Gateway.  

Learn more about the Fusehill library including Opening hours and location on our Campus map. 

Two female students facing each other on a pair of couches while studying in a large, bright room with many windows.

Learning Gateway

In addition to our library, we have some fantastic study space in the Learning Gateway. 

  • 24-hour access during term time
  • Bookable study rooms
  • Flexible learning spaces
  • Comfortable group study booths

Opening hours

Several students working on laptops at a long, s-shaped table in a library.

Lancaster Library

Located next to The Keep, the Harold Bridges library has all the resources and facilities you need for a productive day of study. Our flexible learning spaces offers a range of environments so you can find the right option for you. The diverse collection covers business, education, health and sport, and includes a teaching practice collection for use on placements. The friendly staff team are happy to help you make the most of your visit. They can support you with individual, group, and online subject specific advice for your studies.  

Learn more about Harold Bridges Library including our opening hours and location on the campus map.  

A woman writing notes at a table in a library.

London Library

Our London library features resources from a range of subject areas, including education, business, health and policing. You can use the flexible learning space on campus. Our staff team will welcome you to the library and can answer queries and offer individual, group or online subject specific advice and guidance. If you're a teacher training student, you can also access the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service which has an extensive collection of materials to support your teaching practice. All students can register for a Reader Pass to use the Reading Rooms in the British Library at St. Pancras. 

Find out more about our London library including Opening hours. 

A library bookshelf with textbooks on company law.

Access to other libraries

Barrow-in-Furness

The University Centre at Furness has teaching and flexible study space as well as a core collection of textbooks, and can be used by other university students in the Furness area. 

 

Visitors

We welcome visitors from all walks of life.  You can access our resources in one of these ways.  

  • Visit our campus libraries to use our print resources for reference purposes or access a selection of online resources, eg journal articles via the Walk-in Access to Electronic Resources service. 
  • Join the library to borrow and take away books. It is free to join the library if you are a previous student of the university or £50 for all other users. Please email library@cumbria.ac.uk for more details. 
  • You are welcome to bring your own laptop but please note you cannot access our wifi (unless already registered with Eduroam at another institution) or networked computers. 
  • Visit through the Sconul Access scheme if you are a student from another university. 

For more information on our libraries, contact the Library Team. 

Supporting your learning with access to 220,000 books, 450,000 ebooks, electronic resource collections and millions of journal articles. Our libraries provide a complete range of services and support to enhance your academic and study skills.

Facilities

The libraries at our main campuses in Carlisle, Lancaster, London and Ambleside offer an outstanding variety of features and facilities including: