Frequently asked questions
Where is the Wellcome Library?
The Library – including Wellcome Images and the Moving Image and Sound Collections - is situated at 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE.
View map with details of bus and tube routes
What are the Wellcome Library's opening hours?
The Library's opening hours are:
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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10.00-18.00
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Thursday 10.00-20.00
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Saturday 10.00-16.00
Wellcome Images and the Moving Image and Sound Collections have different opening hours.
Can I use the Wellcome Library?
Yes. The Wellcome Library is a reference library, open to the public and free of charge. An appointment is not necessary for readers wishing to use the book and picture collections, but you are advised to make an appointment if you wish to consult the archival collections, the Moving Image and Sound Collections or Wellcome Images
staff.
Do I need to join the Wellcome Library to use the collections?
Yes. If you have not used the Wellcome Library before you will need to register as a reader on your first visit.
If you would like to save time, complete an application form [PDF 45 KB] in advance of your visit to the Library and bring it with you.
Our website and our catalogues are free to search for Library members and non-members alike.
Do you have the book/archive/film/picture etc that I want?
You can find out what the Wellcome Library holds by checking:
Can I make copies in the Library?
Yes. Low-risk material – usually modern books, journals and other publications in good condition – can be copied using self-service book scanners.
We provide a copying service for materials that are fragile, rare or out of print.
Our imaging services page will give you more information.
Can I bring my bag into the Wellcome Library?
Bags are not permitted in the Library. All bags, including computer bags, must be left in the cloakroom. Readers will be given clear plastic carrier bags for their materials. We do not advise readers to use these bags to carry their laptops.
Can I use my laptop in the Wellcome Library?
Yes. There are power-points throughout the Library. Readers must bring their own adapters. WellcomeNet, for WiFi internet access, is free to use. WellcomeNet is provided subject to the acceptance of the Wellcome Trust's free internet access usage
policy.
Can I bring refreshments into the Wellcome Library?
We do not allow any food or drink into the Library, including bottled water and chewing gum. Water fountains are located opposite Library Reception and at three locations within the Library. Water should only be drunk at the fountains, using the conical cups provided, and should not be taken into study areas. Water bottles and drink containers of any description, filled or
empty, are not allowed into the Library.
A café on the ground floor sells light snacks and refreshments. There are also a number of shops and cafés nearby where users can purchase food and drink.
Can I borrow from the Wellcome Library?
The Wellcome Library is a reference Library and readers cannot borrow material. We do participate in the interlibrary loan scheme, and will consider lending material to other institutions in the scheme.
What online and other facilities are available to me?
You can log on to one of our computers using your Library Card number. Here, you can access a wide variety of resources, including online catalogues, e-journals, databases and word-processing facilities. Consult the full list of the available resources for more information.
Videos, DVDs and audio cassettes from the Moving Image and Sound Collections can be viewed or listened to on workstations in the Journals Hall.
How do I export information from the Library catalogue?
You can export information from the Library catalogue by emailing it to yourself, importing it into bibliographic software such as EndNote or ProCite, or in MARC format.
1. Select your records
When you have found the relevant catalogue records, mark them by ticking the check boxes on the left-hand side of the display list and clicking Save Marked Records. Alternatively, click Add to Saved from a full record. Click View Saved to see a list of your saved items.
2. Select your format
Choose from: full display, ProCite, EndNote or MARC.
3. Select your send option
From the 'Send List To' box, choose how you want to receive the list. You can email the list (you can also change the subject line of an email at this point), view it on screen or save it to a memory stick (select 'Local Disk').
4. Click Submit to email or save your records.
How do I print?
We have both black-and-white and colour printers, which you can use with your Library Card. The price is 5p per A4 page for black-and-white printing and 25p per A4 page for colour printing.
In addition, black and white printing is available from our Copy Service scanners. Our imaging services page will give you more information.
Do you have colour copiers?
There are no colour photocopiers in the Library. However, you can scan and download images in colour using the self-service scanners in Copying Services.
Can I take photos in the Library?
Yes. Provided you always observe the Library's handling and copyright regulations, you may photograph material using your own digital camera in the Library. Photography is not permitted within the Rare Materials Room where different rules apply.
Please do not take general shots of the Library interior if doing so would cause a disturbance or result in other users, deliberately or incidentally, being included in your photographs.
How do I recommend material for the Wellcome Library to buy?
Please fill in a green recommendation slip, available from the Enquiry Desk, and hand it to the duty librarian. Provide as much information as possible and explain briefly why you think it should be purchased. All requests will be considered and the material purchased if considered appropriate for the Library's collections.
Who do I speak to if I feel a collection item is physically unstable and may need some conservation or preservation work?
Speak to the duty librarian at the Enquiry Desk, who will fill out a conservation priority slip. The item will then be placed on a priority list and will be assessed for conservation by our onsite conservation and preservation staff as soon as possible. This will not prevent you from accessing the item and your diligence will help its future preservation.
What is the Wellcome bibliography for the History of Medicine?
Wellcome bibliography for the history of medicine ceased publication in June 2004. It is now available as an archive of references to published material in the history of medicine and allied sciences - mainly journal articles, but also obituaries and essay reviews, many of which are held in the Library. Browsable lists for all Wellcome
bibliography entries created from 1991 to 2004 are available.
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