The University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in the country and boasts an outstanding research collection, incorporating an astonishing 2.7 million books and scholarly periodicals, and more than 16,000 electronic resources.
Overlooking the centre of our beautiful campus, the new library will be an inspirational place to study, with study and research desks near to the windows, allowing all users of the building to benefit from natural light and stunning views. Inside, careful attention has been paid to the efficient use of space, accessibility for all, and the 12km of open access shelving will be arranged in such a way as to be far more intuitive to navigate.
Subject libraries
The Barnes Library occupies four floors in the central block of the Medical School. The library supports staff and students in the subject areas of medicine, biosciences, health sciences and sport.
The Dental Library supports the staff and students of the School of Dentistry. It is situated on the first floor of the Dental Hospital in Edgbaston. The Dental Library houses the main collection in the fields of dentistry and biomaterials. The collection contains monographs, periodicals, theses, videos and electronic media. We currently subscribe to about 80 periodicals. The book collection numbers around 5000. Special Collections material in the field of Dentistry is housed in the Cadbury Research Library in the Muirhead Tower on our main campus.
The Library of Birmingham
The Library of Birmingham is a public library situated on the west side of the city centre at Centenary Square, beside the Birmingham Rep. The library opened in September 2013.
The library has nationally and internationally significant collections, including the Boulton and Watt archives, the Bournville Village Trust Archive, the Charles Parker Archive, the Parker collection of children's books, the Wingate Bett transport ticket collection, the Railway and Canal Historical Society Library, and the photographic archives of the Warwickshire photographic survey. The Library is free to use and has a considerable amount of desk space available.