Member Services

The ​​Member Services team, headed by Amanda Stebbings,looks after all the main book lending services used by members and many of the services and facilities (eg reprographics) they need when working in the Library. The team incorporates:

Circulation: The circulation team is responsible for book lending services including loans and renewals. They also handle book enquiries from members - from straightforward book requests to complex subject enquiries.

  • Book Enquiries: (020) 7766 4743 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Issues & Returns: (020) 7766 4743 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Renewals: (020) 7766 4743 | rThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reception: Reception staff are on hand to advise and welcome members and visitors on arrival in the building.

  • (020) 7766 4700 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Postal loans: Enabling members unable to visit the Library in person to have books sent to them by post. The postal loans team also look after inter library loan requests.

  • (020) 7766  4782 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Acquisitions​

The Acquisitions Team is headed by Gill Turner and handles the acquisition of books and periodicals coming into the collection whether they are newly published, replacements for existing copies, out of print materials or print and online titles brought in under ongoing subscriptions to journals, periodicals, directories etc.

Around 6,000 books are added to the collection annually. The selection of titles draws on the expertise and ongoing research of the Acquisitions team and takes account wherever possible of recommendations from members about titles that would support their research and strengthen the collection. Suggestions for new books can be made to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Much of the Library’s acquisition material has to be purchased but donations that fit the collection are welcomed and members are invited to contact the team via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  if they have books they or their publisher wish to donate.

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Collection Care

The Collection Care team is headed by Kate Sloss and deals with all aspects relating to the physical well-being of the Library's book stock and its long term preservation. Working from a dedicated conservation studio the team carry out in-house book repairs and work with outside conversation services, such as book binders, for more complex repairs. A team of stack management staff are responsible for the correct sequencing of stock and prompt return of books to the shelves.

Collection Care is also responsible for facilitating awareness of and access to the Library's Special Collections, working closely with the Library's Archivist who catalogues the Library's institutional and historic membership archives and oversees its conservation.

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Bibliographic Services

The Bibliographic Services team headed by Fay Dowding is responsible for the cataloguing and classification of all new acquisitions and donations. It also catalogues our pre-1950 acquisitions retrospectively and maintains the Library's unique classification scheme, adapting and developing it where necessary to accommodate how subjects change over time.