Frequently asked questions

Home > Knowledge > Library > Frequently asked questions

The Library is located in the basement of the Institution's headquarters building at 11 Upper Belgrave Street, London SW1X 3BH. A map is available.

The Library is intended for the use of all grades of members of the Institution. Non-members may use the Library by appointment if they cannot find the information they need elsewhere.

No, but there is restricted study space in the Library so groups of student members and any non-members are requested to make an appointment in advance.

Institution members do not need to register to use the Library. Their details are automatically added to the Library database when they become members of the Institution. Non-members (including companies) cannot join the Library but limited access to the collection can be granted via appointments and inter-library loans. See 3 and 20.

Borrowing
Books can be borrowed in person or by post. Loan requests can be accepted by phone, e-mail, or fax.

Issuing Books
We need your Institution membership number to issue books. Please bring your membership card to the Library or quote the number when requesting postal loans. If you don’t have your card we can accept other forms of identification such as a driving licence. Membership numbers can also be located using the online Members directory.

Requesting specific items
Please supply as much information as possible about the item(s) that you want to borrow e.g. author, title, year, ISBN. If you’ve located the item(s) on our catalogue you can also quote the standard (Std.) or accession number given in the catalogue record.

General enquiries
If you have a general topic in mind we can advise you on the relevant texts or refer you to other resources.

If you want someone to borrow or collect a book on your behalf you will need to authorise this first yourself - either by phone, fax or letter.

Most items (excluding current Institution reports and most journals) are available for loan by post. We suggest that items are returned to us by recorded delivery. There is no charge for postal loans but donations towards our postage costs are appreciated.

Only Institution members resident in the European Union can borrow books at present. Photocopies can be supplied worldwide, within the restraints of copyright law. See 19.

Institution members in the EU can borrow up to 3 books, plus 3 reports or standards at a time - 6 items in total.

The normal loan period is 4 weeks for books, reports and standards and 3 weeks for audiovisual material. Items can be renewed twice (for 4 or 3 weeks at a time) as long as no one else requests them. Please quote your Institution membership number when requesting book renewals.

Either by phone, email or fax. Please quote your Institution membership number when requesting renewals.

Contact us with the item details and your Institution membership number. We will put a reservation (hold) on the book. Library staff will contact you when it is returned.

Only borrowers with items that are 6 weeks or more overdue have to pay a fine. Reminder letters are sent out when items are 2, 4 and 6 weeks overdue. If we have to send out a third (6 week) overdue letter a £20.00 fine will be charged. Borrowers must also pay for the cost of replacing lost items. No book renewals or reservations are permitted until the matter is settled.

You are responsible for replacing the book if you lose or damage it once it is your possession. Please contact the Library immediately if this happens.

The Librarian may consider purchasing the item or suggest an alternative publication. If you are a member living in the UK or Ireland it may be possible to borrow the book on your behalf from the British Library (subject to a fee).

Yes, we try to keep an up to date set of structural engineering related ones and keep any superseded editions. They are available for loan to members.

Institution members and journal subscribers can view the full text of The Structural Engineer via the website. You can also download our guide to searching the Structural Engineer online.

Photocopies are supplied according to the requirements of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003. Guidance requesting a photocopy from the Library is available.

Libraries can borrow up to ten items at a time. There is a charge of £5.50 for each item borrowed which can either be debited from their British Library account or they can choose to set up a deposit account with us. Click here for a deposit account form.

Research can be undertaken subject to staff availability. You are advised to telephone us to discuss your requirements. The first 5 minutes is free. We then charge £20.00 per half-hour.

The Institution does not have a technical advisory service but we may be able to suggest relevant publications or refer you other organisations. Members can also seek advice from other engineers via the Institution’s online Forum.

Related:

Journal archive search guide