SCONUL: Home

UPDATE: Library Membership processing and submissions will be paused between Monday 15th December 2025 and Wednesday 7th of January 2026. Processing will resume and applications can be submitted from the 7th of January. Applications take up to 28 days to be processed.

SCONUL Access is a reciprocal scheme which allows many university library users to access books, journals and study space at other libraries which belong to the scheme. The scheme covers most of the university libraries in the UK and Ireland, and the University of Northampton is part of the scheme.

This means:

• University of Northampton students and staff can visit and access selected resources at other university libraries that are part of the scheme
• Students and staff from other universities that are part of the scheme can visit and access selected resources at the University of Northampton library

There are different levels of access, depending on if you are staff or what type of student you are.

You may be eligible to borrow books from other university libraries if you are:

• a member of staff (both academic and support staff) on an open or fixed term contract
• a postgraduate research student registered for a PhD, MPhil or similar qualification
• a part-time, distance learning and placement student
• or a full-time postgraduate

You may be eligible to have reference access to other college and university libraries if you are:

• a full-time undergraduate student