Using University libraries
- Where can you study?
- Borrowing books
- Getting help
- Finding books and journals
- Your Voyager account
- How to reserve a book online
- How to renew a book online
- Ordering books and journals
- Inter-library loans
- Services from a distance
- SCONUL Access
Where can you study?
Information Services provides flexible learning environments designed to suit individual needs.
You can study in any of the libraries and take advantage of the range of IT facilities, group study rooms and eLounge areas located across the University. Please see the Information Services group study room web page for more details.
A number of IT rooms, and the Julian Hodge Study Centre, which houses 150 computers and a wide range of services and equipment, are available 24 hours a day. Many of the libraries offer extended opening hours during the second semester.
More details about the opening hours of all the libraries and IT rooms are available, together with further information about your subject library.
Borrowing books
Your University ID card is also your library card. Take the books that you want to borrow to one of the staffed service desks or self-issue points in the library, together with your University ID card. The first time you use one of the libraries you may be asked to complete a library registration form.
Self-issue terminals are available in the Aberconway, Bute and Architecture, Archie Cochrane (Llandough) Biomedical Sciences, Brian Cooke Dental, Health and Trevithick libraries, and in the short loan collection of the Law Library.
Books may be returned to any Cardiff University library. However, four hour loans and reserved items should be returned to the library they were borrowed from.
The table below indicates how many books you can borrow. The total includes any items that we obtain for you from other libraries.
| Category | Borrowing Allowance |
|---|---|
| Cardiff University staff (full and part-time) | 32 |
| Research postgraduates | 25 |
| Taught postgraduates | 15 |
| Undergraduates and LEARN diploma students | 12 |
| Short course students | 4 |
| SCONUL Access (band A) | 5 |
| SCONUL Access (bands B and C) | 2 |
| Personal external members and National Museum of Wales staff | 4 |
| Corporate external members | 6 |
| Staff of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Velindre NHS Trust | 12 |
| Fellows and council members | 12 |
| Alumni members | 4 |
| Mutual students (UWIC undergraduates and 'Welsh For Adults' students) | 2 |
Extended loan periods are available for students with disabilities – please contact your library for information.
If you wish to borrow materials from a distant library location, a staff-mediated collection service is available to bring the items to a library convenient to you. This service may be restricted to non-short loan books only.
Find out more information about your rights and responsibilities.
Getting help
Advice and support is available in all of our library sites, and at a distance. If you are in one of our libraries, please come to the enquiry desk, where staff will be pleased to help with any enquiry on finding or using our collections and services. Enquiry desks are generally open from 9am until 7pm, Monday to Friday, with some limited support provided at weekends.
We also offer a virtual chat service (Ask a Librarian - live), available between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. You can use this to have a text chat with library staff if you have any enquiries about how to use library services. The service is particularly useful if you are working off-campus and need some help at a distance. To use the virtual chat service, please visit the library web pages.
Finding books and journals
Voyager is Cardiff University's online library catalogue. Using Voyager you can find information about books, journals, theses and other materials such as maps and music scores, which are held in the libraries. You can also place reservations and renew your books online.
You can access Voyager :
- From a dedicated Voyager computer terminal in any library
- Through Cardiff Portal.
Your Voyager account
Voyager can do far more than simply find books and journals. You can check which books you have on loan and when they are due back and you can renew your loans (provided there are no reservations on them from other library users). You can reserve books that are currently out on loan, and see if you have any outstanding charges.
To do any of these things, you need to log in to View your library account on Voyager, using your Cardiff University username and password.
How to: reserve a book online
Go to Voyager
- Search for the item you want;
- Once you have found the item you wish to reserve, click on Make a Reservation;
- Enter your Cardiff University username and password, and click Login;
- Click Reservation and follow the instructions at the top of the next screen.
A note will appear on your account when the item becomes available. You will also receive an email alert to your University email account. Remember to check regularly and collect items promptly from the relevant library. Short loan items you have reserved will only be held for you for one day.
N.B You may only place reservations for items that are currently on loan to other borrowers.
How to: renew a book online
Go to Voyager
- Click on View your library account;
- Enter your Cardiff University username and password, and click Login;
- To renew an item select its check box then click on Request Renewal.
Check carefully that Voyager has allowed your renewal. You will not be able to renew an item if it has been requested by another user or if charges on your account have reached a total combined amount of £10. If fines reach £10 in total then your account, and the amount shown as owing in fines, will be 'frozen'. Be aware however that once you return the overdue items to us the final amount actually owing on each individual item will be automatically calculated, and this could reach a maximum of £10 per item.
If you keep books beyond the due date you will incur charges. Charges range from 25p per day for lower-demand items to £1 per hour for high-demand items, up to the maximum £10 per item borrowed. If an item is lost you will be required to pay for a replacement copy. Voyager's View my library account facility will provide details of any charges outstanding on your account. All charges are reinvested in the service.
Ordering books and journals
Cardiff University libraries are pleased to receive recommendations for book purchases. Ask a member of library staff for further information.
Module reading lists: if you are creating a reading list for students, please liaise with the library as soon as possible or email ReadingLists@cardiff.ac.uk . Staff will arrange book / eBook ordering and can assist with seeking copyright permission where required. Some libraries are able to provide additional support such as scanning items or hyper-linking reading lists to the full text of documents. With your permission, these can be linked to the relevant module within Learning Central.
Journal subscriptions can be recommended to the library via your School Library Representative. Journal collections are reviewed on an annual basis.
Inter-library loans
You can use the inter-library loan service to obtain books, journal issues and articles which are not available in Cardiff University libraries. For all students, inter-library loan requests should be made at your University library. University staff may submit inter-library loan requests online via Voyager.
Where possible, journal articles will be sent directly electronically to your University email account using Secure Electronic Delivery.
Guidance on how to use the inter-library loan service is available.
Theses should be requested directly by University members from the British Library via the EThOS Electronic Theses Online System. Please contact your University library if you require further information about this service.
Services from a distance (staff at NHS sites and medical / health students)
Staff at NHS sites and medical and health-related students can access the Cardiff network resources using the Cardiff University All Wales Citrix Service.
The service provides remote access to the network facilities from terminals located in most hospital libraries throughout Wales. This allows you to connect to the Cardiff University computer network as if you were logging in via a directly connected computer, giving access to desktop applications including: Office (Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word), SPSS (Statistical package), EndNote (Reference Management software), Paint Shop Pro (Graphical package) and electronic resources.
The service also provides full internet access including Cardiff University electronic resources, local printing facilities and access to your home directory files only. To ensure the security of NHS data there is no access to the local network, drives or any USB devices.
For more information please contact the IT Service Desk.
Services for all other distance learning students can be obtained from individual library sites - further information for distance learners is available.
SCONUL Access
This scheme enables registered staff, research students and taught postgraduates, plus part-time, distance learning and placement students to borrow material from the libraries of around 170 participating UK and Higher Education institutions. Undergraduate students may visit the libraries of participating universities during vacations by showing a valid Cardiff University ID card (but may not borrow material). The SCONUL Access scheme does not permit access to the electronic resources of other institutions. Further information is available.