Getting started

Library Services staff are here to help you. The quickest ways to get in touch are live chat, email and in-person at the Library Welcome Desks during staffed hours:

• Live chat and FAQs
• library@qmul.ac.uk
• Staffed hours

Keep up to date 

Keep up to date with, Library services, training, events and projects:  

• Library News  
• Bluesky: @qmullibrary.bsky.social 
• Instagram: @QMULLibrary 
• Library Services Update bulletin (published monthly) 

At the start of semester 1 Queen Mary Library Services offer guided tours and library inductions. You can also take a self-guided online tour: 

• Mile End Library tour 
• Whitechapel Library tour 
• West Smithfield Library tour 

Queen Mary has three libraries across its London campuses: Mile End, Whitechapel and West Smithfield. To use the libraries, you will need your student ID card. 

Mile End Library houses a large collection of multi-disciplinary materials. Whitechapel and West Smithfield libraries cover all aspects of Medicine and Dentistry. You can use any of our libraries regardless of what course you are studying.  

At Mile End Campus, Library Services also manage three campus study spaces: The Hive, Canalside and The Graduate Centre 7th Floor. 

There are a variety of study spaces to suit your needs, including bookable group study rooms, and three types of zones to choose from: silent; quiet and discussion. 

Study spaces

Postgraduate Researchers at Queen Mary have access to a dedicated reading room on the second floor of Mile End Library and 24/7 access to the 7th floor study spaces in the Graduate Centre.

Supporting your research

The Academic Skills Centre offer a range of support for Queen Mary Postgraduate Research students, from planning and carrying out literature searches to identifying the best resources for your research and tools to manage your references.

The Open Research Team provide support for publishing your research and managing your data.

Teaching

If you will also be a member of academic staff whilst undertaking your PhD, see our Library Services for Staff webpages.

Reading Lists Online

Online reading lists provide easy access to the materials recommended by your lecturers. Not all modules use Reading Lists Online, contact your tutor for assistance if you cannot find the list for your course 

Library Search

In addition to your course reading lists you will need to use Library Search to look for other resources including books and journal articles.  

Accessing e-resources

You can access e-resources on and off-campus. If asked to login, use your Queen Mary username and password (the same as your QMPlus login). A small number of resources will require different steps to login. 

Borrowing books and DVDs

You can borrow up to 40 items at a time using our self-service kiosks (you will need your student ID card). Your books will be automatically renewed up to 51 times unless reserved by another user. If all the copies of an item you need are on loan you can reserve it by placing a hold, and when you are finished with your items you can return them using the self-service kiosks. 

If you want to see which items you have on your account you can check your Library Account Online using your library barcode and PIN: 

• Your library barcode is the 10 digit number starting ‘023...’ on the front of your student ID card. If you don’t have a card you can also find this on your MySIS account 
• To reset your PIN use our online PIN reset form 

Get it for me

If Queen Mary Library Services doesn’t have the item you need you can request it using our Get it for me service. 

Academic Skills Centre are here to help you throughout your time at Queen Mary from your first to last assignments. 

Get Ahead 

To support new students’ transition to university we have worked with colleagues across Queen Mary to create Get Ahead. It provides guidance and resources to help you prepare for university study and build essential skills to find and use information effectively and refresh your maths and statistics skills. 

Find It! Use It! Reference It! 

Our QMPlus module introduces some essential information literacy skills that you will need during your time at Queen Mary (and beyond). These include: 

• Why it is a mistake to rely on Google and Wikipedia when looking for information 
• Where to go find reliable information online 
• Methods for evaluating the information you find 
• An understanding of the issues surrounding plagiarism 
• Referencing styles used in academic writing 
• Using freely available software to manage your references and prepare a bibliography. 

Accessing support 

Academic Skills Centre provide support on all aspects of academic, research, information and maths and statistics skills.