Quickstart guide - Researchers
Welcome
Welcome to Loughborough University Library. This short guide gives you all the essentials you need to start accessing our resources and services.
Our libraries
On the Loughborough campus, the University Library is known as the Pilkington Library. There is only one library on campus, and it is the largest open access study space. The Library is open to all staff and students at the University and is also home to a café and IT Services PC Clinic. The Pilkington Library is open until 2am 7 days a week during term time and 24/7 for January and the whole of the summer term. There is also library space on the London campus with generous opening hours (usually 24/7 for most of the year).
Joining the library
You are automatically enrolled as a member of the Library when you start as a researcher at the university. Your student ID card is also your Library card, and you will need it to access the barriers at the Pilkington Library and in London and also to borrow books on our self-service machines.
Discovering information for your research
The Library can provide assistance on searching for information from looking at the components of building a search strategy, identifying where to search and what types of information you are looking for, to advanced search techniques. Once you have conducted your search it is important to evaluate the information you have found and to ensure that any new relevant research does not escape you.
Borrowing books
Researchers can borrow up to 50 books at a time - just find where the book is located in the Library by finding the shelf mark on the catalogue and then go to the shelf and collect it. Once you have the book, take the item to the self-service machines and borrow it - don’t forget, you will need your Lboro ID card to borrow your books.
The book will be issued for four weeks at a time and will automatically renew up to 14 times - as long as no-one requests the book in the meantime. You will get an email confirmation when you borrow or return books.
Requesting books
If a book you require is on loan to another user, you can place a hold request on the book. The person who has the book will then have one week to return the book to the Library. As soon as they have returned the book it will be placed on hold for you and you will receive an email from the Library asking you to collect your hold.
Your Library account
You can access your Library account in three ways:
- Via the Library tile on the MyLboro app
- Via the account section on Library Catalogue Plus
- Via the account section on the self-service machines
Inter library loan service
If there is a book, journal article, conference paper or other information resource that you need for Loughborough University-related work, and the University Library does not have it, you can request it from the Inter-Library Loan service and we will set about getting it for you.
Open Research
The Library’s Research Support Team support open research at the University. One aspect of this is the Open Access (OA) movement which is based upon the key principle that publicly funded research should be made publicly available and as widely accessible as possible. Open Access material is online and free at the point of access, without barriers such as subscription or registration. There is significant evidence to suggest that publishing your work Open Access leads to wider readership, increased downloads and ultimately more citations.
Loughborough University Research Repository and LUPIN
Loughborough University Publications Information System (LUPIN) and the Research Repository are the means by which staff and researchers manage their research output metadata and make their publications and other research outputs accessible to an external audience. If you need help with this area, please email repository@lboro.ac.uk and our team will be happy to help.
Support from the Library
The Library prides itself on providing excellent levels of support, whether it is in person at one of our help desks, online assistance via a Teams chat with one of our Academic Librarians or if you wanted to email us with a question. It’s our job to help support you, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need us.
Email for assistance:
Ask a Librarian and general email enquiries - library@lboro.ac.uk
London researchers - londonlibrary@lboro.ac.uk
Research Repository - repository@lboro.ac.uk
Copyright - copyright@lboro.ac.uk
Research data management - rdm@lboro.ac.uk