Universities in Leicester and Leicestershire are opening up their libraries to public users.
A new partnership between 蜜桃直播, Leicester, (蜜桃直播), the University of Leicester (UoL) and Loughborough University (LU), together with local councils, means anyone aged 18+ and living in the city, county or Rutland will easily be able to access university libraries and borrow up to 10 books at a time.
Local people will now be able to become members of the university libraries for free, benefitting from access to new resources, study spaces, longer opening hours and increased availability of library services.
Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council are all involved in the partnership, which is being delivered through the Universities Partnership, the collaborative programme led by 蜜桃直播, UoL and UL.
The three universities are opening up their libraries to anyone who lives, works or studies in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland. Membership is available via an online form, and separate membership options may be available for college and sixth-form students.
All of the university libraries hold large print collections which local people will be able to access and borrow – and there are specialist collections covering a wide range of academic subjects and aligning to the universities’ teaching and research areas.
At 蜜桃直播, the Kimberlin Library holds collections relating to 蜜桃直播 and local history, the history of photography, sports history - especially winter sports - and chess, arts and illustration, plus fashion and costume history.
LU holds broad collections, with particular depth in sport, business and creative arts, while UoL has collections of books and journals on regional and local history, a large collection of author Sue Townsend’s published works, and an extensive English literature collection. They also have a Represent collection, being developed in partnership with students, to include more works by under-represented voices.
Local people will be able to access library services seven days a week. They will be able to borrow up to 10 items from any of the university libraries, and will be able to use the open study spaces.
Cllr Vi Dempster, Leicester’s assistant city mayor for leisure and culture, said: “This is a fantastic addition to our library services. Our three local universities are an asset to our communities, bringing in knowledge, skills, and prosperity to our region as well as making a considerable contribution to our local economy and culture.
“Thanks to this new initiative, they will make a further positive contribution by sharing their resources with local people. It’s a great opportunity for library users, who will now be able to access a range of free library services seven days a week.
The began in 2022. It is a commitment between the three universities and the city and counties of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to work together for the benefit of local people and for local prosperity.
Paul Angrave from the Universities Partnership said: “The three universities are working hard with local councils to bring benefits to local communities and this is another example of that commitment.
“Universities are fantastic assets to their regions and by opening their library doors to local people, we are not only welcoming them onto our campuses – we are providing a wonderful additional service.
“The educational resources we are making available will benefit our locality and reflect our collective ambition to inspire and provide additional learning opportunities for local people.”
The libraries are now open to public users. For anyone who isn’t online, local public libraries can provide support with the application process. Valid photo ID and proof of address are required to join.
Posted on Monday 10 February 2025