Search for and find material
Browse our collections using Library Search or one of the other specialist catalogues.
Course Collection (1st floor)
In the Course Collection you will find copies of the essential books on your reading lists. You can borrow these books for at least 3 days.
Main Collection
In the Main Collection you will find our research collections and background readings from your reading lists. You can borrow these books for up to 90 days (reduced to 7 days if requested by someone else).
Locate the material
Find out which floor the material you require is located on:
A table to show which floor you will find Main Collection classmarks on.
| Course Collection books | Floor |
|---|
| A to Z |
1st |
| |
|
| Main Collection | |
|---|
| Books | Floor |
|---|
| A to HA |
3rd |
| HB to JV |
2nd |
| JX to Z |
1st |
| TWL@LSE books |
3rd (ref. only) |
| |
|
| Journals |
Floor |
| A to JZ |
3rd |
| K to Z |
2nd |
*Email requests take 2 working days to process.
**Monday to Friday with the last fetch at 3.30pm each day.
Library store collections
Certain collections are located in on-site closed storage.
Items can be identified through Library Search and include:
- Russian collection
- Intergovernmental organisations (IGO) reports
- UK Government publications
- Microform and microfilm
- Historical newspapers
- Pamphlets
- LSE PhD theses
Requesting material from store and archive collections
Complete a form in the 4th floor reading room or email us your requirements. Email requests take 2 working days for us to process.
These are the times we collect requested material for you. Monday to Friday only:
60 minutes later you can consult the requested material in the 4th floor reading room.
- We hold items until the reading room closes (Monday - Friday 5pm, 6pm on Saturdays during term time), or the date you enter on the request form.
- Most material cannot be taken out of the reading room.
- Return material to the reading room desk before it closes.
- Items can be held for further use.
Library offsite store collections
Very low use collections are located in offsite storage.
Items can be identified through Library Search and include:
- Reserve Books
- Reserve Journals
Requesting material from offsite storage
- Complete a form in the 4th floor reading room or email us your requirements.
- We will request items 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Requests must be submitted by 2pm. Items are normally delivered in 2 working days and are held for 2 weeks.
- Reserve Books can be loaned by members with borrower accounts. Other visitors may use them in the 4th floor reading room. Reserve Journals are reference only for all members.
Get further help
If you need any further help then please contact us or visit one of the service desks.
Staff are available during office hours to help you find material or answer any other queries you have.