VISITING INFORMATION |
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The Library is closed on all public holidays and for one week in July.
All visitors are welcome to access our collections, and staff are always on hand to help. Admission to the Library is free, but donations from visitors are needed to support the Library's work. You can also help by visiting the Shop and Cafe, and by joining as a Linen Hall member. The Support Us section of this site gives more information about how to help the Library financially and the benefits that supporters gain.
Wheelchairs - Full disabled access and facilities (via Fountain Street entrance).
Nappy-changing facilities are available in the disabled toilet on Level 2.
We actively welcome children and for our young readers we provide a reading space on Level 2 with picture books, easy readers and jigsaws to entertain while the rest of the family browse for books. The Library does not operate a silence policy in this area.
Our licensed Coffee House, in partnership with Clements Coffee, has one of the best views in the city overlooking Donegall Square - an unbeatable coffee and refreshment experience. Opening hours are: We offer a range of speciality freshly roasted coffees, high quality sandwiches, soups, stew, salads, paninis, baked potatoes, and a range of pastries. Members enjoy a 10% discount on presentation of their membership card.
SHOPPING
The Library aims to provide a full and friendly service to all its member and non-member visitors. Staff at our main issue desk on Level 2 can help you with general questions about our services, events and facilities. Notice boards beside the entrances to Levels 2 and 4 provide information on events and exhibitions. Facilities include:
Internet Services: Wi-Fi Access: We have now installed Wi-Fi in the Library, with 3 separate ‘hot spots’ throughout the building - General Lending (Level 2), the Northern Ireland Political Collection (Level 3) and Irish & Reference (Level 4). Members: Free of charge.
Feel free to browse amongst the extensive material that we have on open access. This includes the entire General Lending Collection on Levels 2 and 4, and a significant range of Irish and Local Studies material on Level 4. Major parts of our collections, including rare material and research collections, are held in closed access. To access this material simply fill in a call slip using information from the catalogue. Staff will then retrieve the items for you. Beyond browsing, there are two basic ways to locate the resources you want: - Use the Library's Online Catalogue: This is the finding tool for our holdings. The best way to find material is to click on the Search option, which enables you to look for material in a number of ways, and to identify what you require. The catalogue also enables you to check availability and reserve material, and provides details of all our holdings. It is also a vital way into our closed access resources. Please ask our staff for any assistance you may need. Whatever your topic, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to help you to find and access the material you want, and can often suggest other related or relevant material on your topic. While most books and pamphlets are on our online catalogue, most non-book material is not included; our well-informed staff can guide you to these additional resources. They can also answer any enquiries you may have, and can assist in use of the computer catalogue. Enquiry desks are located on Levels 2, 3 and 4.
Members Members can borrow books and can request books or renew loans online. They may also use our request service in the Library. Non-MembersNon-members can consult our collections for reference purposes. To do so please sign-in at our Fountain Street entrance where you will receive a visitors badge. However, some of our material is non-borrowable as it may be fragile or original, and we need to ensure that it continues to be a resource for generations to come. Rare books, those printed before 1850, and some special collections including the Northern Ireland Political Collection and the Theatre and Performing Arts Archive are reference only for all users. Non-members wishing to use archival material should bring a letter of reference from an academic supervisor, publisher, employer, or bone fide community organisation.
The Library welcomes all research enquiries, whether made in person, by phone, fax, letter or e-mail. Enquiries from members will be answered free of charge. Visitors from afar, and in particular those engaged in serious research projects, are recommended to make prior contact with the Library to ensure that they receive the best possible service. More complex enquiries should be made by letter, fax, or e-mail. Enquiries of this kind from within the British Isles will normally be answered free of charge, apart from any copying and postage charges. A minimum charge of £2 will normally be made in respect of overseas enquiries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CONTACT DETAILS
