Library Visitor Information

Visitors' Borrowing Schemes, Online Resources and Wi-Fi

Access to our Library Buildings

Swansea University Libraries are primarily for current students and staff of Swansea University. We do allow access to our Singleton Campus, Bay Campus, and South Wales Miners’ Library for the wider community who wish to consult our resources for academic and research purposes. There are limitations to access which are outlined below.

External visitors can visit the Singleton or Bay Campus Libraries, or the South Wales Miners’ Library during Library staffed hours indicated on our Library Opening Hours and Locations webpages for each library site. St David’s Park Library is open to external visitors during staffed hours on a Reference Use Only basis. Visitors to the must make an appointment prior to their visit.

Swansea University Students and Staff

Swansea University Staff and Students automatically have full access to our Library resources, facilities, and services during current opening hours.
You will need to present your University ID card, which is also your Library card, when entering the building or when asked by a member of Library staff.

Non-Swansea University Students and Staff

We ask that you plan your visit in advance. Our libraries are particularly busy during term times, between 11:00-17:00 Monday-Friday. Please visit outside of these times if possible.

General public: The Libraries Together Passport reciprocal scheme allows any current member of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys and Pembrokeshire public library services to have free borrowing access at Swansea University and other local FE and HE libraries. Please visit your nearest public library branch and join the library if you are not already a member, and ask staff at the public library for a Libraries Together passport form. Staff at the public library will need to stamp your Libraries Together passport, which you can then bring with you to a Swansea University Library branch (along with your public library card) to register with us as an external borrower. Please have your stamped Libraries Together passport ready to present when entering the building.
SCONUL members: Swansea University is a member of the SCONUL Access scheme, allowing members from other universities borrowing access to the Library and its collections. Please contact your own institution for details of how to register as a SCONUL Access member. After your SCONUL Access application is approved by your home institution, you should receive a confirmation letter/email from SCONUL which you can bring with you to a Swansea University Library branch (along with your home institution ID card), to register with us as an external borrower. Please have your home institution ID card ready to present when entering the building.
University students and staff/researchers from other institutions can access Library study space and use the collection on a reference only basis. Please bring your home institution ID card with you to present when entering the building. For borrowing access, you will need to register as a SCONUL Access member as detailed above.
School and college students aged 16 or over can use our libraries to support their studies, via the Libraries Together Passport scheme as outlined above. Gower College students can obtain a Libraries Together Passport from the college library or from the public library. School students aged 16 or over can obtain a Libraries Together Passport from the public library.
Alumni can access the library through the Libraries Together scheme for the general public, as outlined above.
Refugees and Asylum Seekers are very welcome to use our libraries through the Libraries Together scheme for the general public, as outlined above.

Restricted access during revision and exam periods

During revision and examination periods, access will be restricted to Swansea University students and staff, and SCONUL Access members from other institutions, only. Please consult with the Richard Burton Archives webpages, or the Library Restricted Access Dates section below, for a list of these dates. We may have to limit access to our Libraries during other key times of year during the academic calendar, so please consult our webpages before each visit. During these periods, researchers will still be able to visit the South Wales Miners’ Library and the Richard Burton Archives by appointment.

General information for visitors

Visitors to the Library are asked to respect the Library building, resources, and its staff and users. Consideration is to be given to those using study spaces for academic and research purposes.
Visitors to the library are to take care of personal belongings and not to leave them unattended in the Library. Swansea University Library are not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to personal belongings.
In line with Swansea University’s Children on University Premises Policy, visitors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by adult supervision at all times.
Our full Swansea University Library External Visitors Policy is available here: Swansea University Library External Visitors Policy

Library Restricted Access Dates for External Visitors

Access to Swansea University library buildings will be restricted to Swansea University students and staff, and SCONUL Access members from other institutions, during the following periods:

There are currently no scheduled restricted access periods.

During restricted access periods, researchers may still visit the South Wales Miners' Library and Richard Burton Archives by appointment, and external borrowers with loans due during the restricted access period may visit the library in order to return items.