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News and updates

News or updates on Library services and resources

You will find information about updates on the Library, our services and planned downtime for resources that we subscribe to.

Current

Past

  • Scheduled maintenance of library catalogue from 8 April 10pm to 9 April 6am. Posted - 23 March 2026.

    There is a scheduled maintenance of the Library catalogue from 8 April 10pm to 9 April 6am.

    During this time Library catalogue will not be available.

    We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

  • Library and User Services operating normally during the Easter break. Posted – 17 March 2026.

    Students and staff are encouraged to continue using IT and Library Services between the end of the Spring term (27 March) and the start of the Summer term (27 April). We are open every day with a small reduction in our opening hours during the Easter weekend.

    During the Easter College closure, from 6pm on Wednesday 1 April to Tuesday 7 April inclusive, you will be able to contact the User Services helpdesk by email, ASK and telephone, as well as in person, throughout our opening hours.

    Library Disability and Dyslexia Service study materials and appointments, and Academic Services Librarians will be unavailable during this time. For Interlibrary Loans, please check the Birkbeck Interlibrary Loans website. Requests submitted during the closure period are unlikely to be processed until the service reopens on Wednesday 8 April.

    The click-and-post service will be unavailable between 2 and 7 April.

    If you are planning to visit other libraries during the Easter break, please check their opening times and services available well in advance. Many libraries, if open at all, may not be processing new memberships during the break, so please ensure you join in good time beforehand.

  • Climate Festival 2026 - Upcycling Bookmark-making Workshop, 19 Feb 4pm-5pm. Posted - 16 February 2026.

    Climate Festival 2026 - Upcycling Bookmark-making Workshop with Birkbeck's Climate Action Network, 19 February, 4.00 to 5.00pm, Birkbeck Library

    Join Birkbeck’s Climate Action Network for a relaxed, creative hour of upcycling at their bookmark-making stand. In our world, we accumulate so many scrap materials that could be upcycled into something beautiful and useful. So, bring your spare fabrics, paper, pens, and plastics, and spend an hour making them into bookmarks which you can keep forever. Some craft materials and supplies will be provided, and the best three designs gets a £20 book voucher!

    Book here.

  • Information skills sessions January - March. Posted - 14 January 2026.

    The Academic Services Librarians will be running several information skills sessions throughout the first three months of 2026.

    Online sessions:

    • Getting the most out of Google Scholar, 19 January 16:30 – 17: 30 Book your place
    • Get ready - Getting started with the Library, 20 January 17:00 –17:30 Book your place
    • Get ready – Finding resources from your reading list, 21 January 17:00 –17:25 Book your place
    • Get ready – Beyond your reading list, 22 January 17:00-17:30 Book your place
    • Finding resources for your assignments, 24 January 10:00-10:55 Book your place
    • Using AI tools for literature searching and finding journal articles, 4 February 18:00-19:00 Book your place
    • Finding resources for your dissertation, 12 February 16:00-17:00 Book your place
    • Finding resources for your assignments, 21 February 10:30-11:30 Book your place
    • Introduction to referencing and Zotero, 21 February 11:45-12:45 Book your place
    • Beyond your library: navigating Senate House and the British Library, 26 February 16:45-17:30 Book your place
    • Making the most out of Westlaw UK, 27 February 16:30-17:30 Book your place
    • Finding and using news sources, 4 March 16:45-17:30 Book your place
    • Making the most out of Lexis+, 9 March 16:30-17:30 Book your place
    • Evaluating information resources, 10 March 16:45-17:30 Book your place
    • Finding resources for your assignments, 16 March 16:30-17:30 Book your place
    • Getting started with MindManager, online mind-mapping software, 18 March 12:00-12:45 Book your place

    In-person sessions (Birkbeck main building):

    • Evaluating Sources, 24 January 11:00-11:55 Book your place
    • Managing your references and using Zotero, 24 January 12:00-12:55 Book your place
    • Finding the best peer-reviewed research with Scopus, 27 January 18:00-21:00 Book your place

    Alongside these sessions, you can also book individual (online) one-to-one support sessions or make use of the Drop-in sessions Monday to Friday at 12.30 – 13:30 with no booking required. Click on "Drop-in session" to join, where you will be held in the lobby until the librarian on duty is available.

  • New resource – Digital Theatre+. Posted - 13 January 2026.

    We are pleased to announce that we have access to a new resource, Digital Theatre+, which will be very useful for drama and theatre studies students, but will be useful for broader studies too, and can be used by any student or staff member.

    Some of the advantages of Digital Theatre+ include:

    • Access to viewing hundreds of contemporary theatre performances
    • Searchability by theme and theatrical form, and instant ability to cross-reference multiple performances of the same text
    • Extra material, including play texts and study guides

    Digital Theatre+ is made available initially for a six-month trial period, but we hope to extend that if it is well used.