Like most libraries space is at a premium, and it costs us a lot of money to store materials in offsite stores. Therefore, we often cannot help to take book collections "in bulk".
If you would like to donate up to 10 books, please contact us by email, with a list of titles (including year of publication and author).
If you have more than 10 books, please consider first that about 90% of all pre-2000 books offered to us are held already.
When you contact us please let us also know how quickly you will need to dispose of the books. Finally, be aware that any books not needed will be offered to other Jesuit libraries in the UK, and then if still surplus to requirements we pass books on to a company which sells them on our behalf.
Often the Library is not that busy, and sometimes you might find that you are the only library user. However, we still believe calls should not be taken in the library (on a mobile or a video call on a laptop)– another library user might walk ‘into your phone call’. Calls can betaken in the corridor outside the Library, or if not inconveniencing others in the Cana Room (at the end of the basement corridor).
If you are a member of any university library in the UK, you can access the Heythrop Library through your university's inter-library loans (or documents) services. They will need to contact Senate House Library's ILL department.
Some public libraries in the UK might also offer inter-library loans (or documents) services, please enquire with your local public library.
Since March 2023, we have asked our library users to supply testimonials, sharing how and why they benefit from the collection, library services, and the Mount Street reading room.
If you are a member and would like to contribute to the testimonials, please email us: heythroplibrary@jesuit.org.uk
Heythrop Library is open to anyone with a serious interest in theology or philosophy and the related academic disciplines represented in the collection. We welcome enquiries about using the library’s collections and reading room at the London Jesuit Centre. The next two sections of this FAQ answers most membership questions, or download the most current Reader's Guide (link below).