Undergraduate prospectus

Student services: library

Our Albert Sloman Library (ASL), which overlooks the University’s lakes and parkland, is just a few minutes’ walk from teaching buildings and student residences at the Colchester Campus.

With holdings amounting to over one million books, periodical issues and microfilms, including 8,000 current periodicals, our ASL is a major resource for all Essex students undertaking postgraduate study and research. Students studying at our Southend Campus can visit the ASL to borrow books directly and make use of resources, or can borrow books via a daily dispatch service which runs between the two campuses. In addition, students at our Southend Campus have access to the library at South Essex College, the University’s partner institution at the Southend Campus.

Holdings at the ASL are strong in all subjects in which we have academic programmes, and in some areas (for example Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe) these are of national significance. The holdings are chosen to support teaching and research but also include some books of general or leisure interest. Extra copies of books in heavy demand (such as set texts) are available in a short loan collection and you can check the location of books by accessing the catalogue online, either in Colchester or Southend.

The ASL provides ideal conditions for quiet study with 1,070 reader places. In addition, 110 networked PCs and terminals provide access to over 35,000 online journals, databases, e-books and library catalogues at: Albert Sloman Library. Viewing facilities for DVDs and videos are also available.

Special collections of archives concentrate on contemporary material, for example the papers of the Social Democrat Party (SDP), QUALIDATA and the Boundary Commission for England and Wales. Recent additions include extensive papers and publications relating to the works of Sigmund Freud, the historical collection of the Royal Statistical Society Library and the Library of the Essex Society for Archaeology and History.

The ASL has long opening hours, a total of 84 hours over seven days a week during term and 42.5 to 84 hours in vacations. A large reading room provides overnight study and IT facilities throughout much of the year. New students are encouraged to join an introductory tour at the beginning of the academic year and staff on our enquiry desk are happy to assist with queries. They also produce a range of printed and online guides which provide detailed information about the ASL and its services.