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How do I join the KCL Library?

St Thomas Hospital Weston Education Centre at Denmark Hill

If you are new to the Library then you need to register to get a Library ID Card for access and to allow borrowing.  Start the registration process by completing our online registration form.

If you have not visited for some time you should visit KCL security to have your King's ID Card revived. In some cases you may need to re-register.

Joining the library will give you access to all King's College London libraries including those at St Thomas', and the Guy's and Denmark Hill campuses.


Next steps

After completing the form you will be contacted with next steps. You will receive an email including your King's computer login and confirmation of when to visit King's College London security to obtain a King's ID card (more detail below).  Please note your King's computer login does not allow remote access to university electronic resources (instead use your NHS OpenAthens details).

Your King's ID card allows you to visit at your convenience.  If you wish to borrow books there is a final online registration step to complete once you have had your King's ID Card made. Please note that not all categories of our NHS users are eligible to borrow books.

Obtaining a King's ID card

The same King's ID card opens the gates at all our Libraries and is your Library card for borrowing materials. Cards can be obtained from:

  • Weston Education Centre security desk - Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm
  • St Thomas' Hospital security desk at Gate 3 (located between the Prideaux Building and the old Medical School building) - Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
  • New Hunt's House security desk in New Hunt's House (the building opposite the main entrance to Guy's Hospital) - Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm
  • Franklin-Wilkins Building - Waterloo Campus; Ground floor - Security Helpdesk, 0207 848 3800 - Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm

If you are unable to attend at these times please contact Site Services on the Guys campus on 020 7848 6666.

Who can join?

King's College London provides a multidisciplinary library service to all NHS staff working for: 

  • Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
  • King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust.

We also provide a limited service for staff working for the NHS in South East London, within the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark (including South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust). 

Students on placement at GSTT and KCH are eligible to join for the duration of their placement.  When registering using the online form they should provide their university email, select the Trust where they are on placement and include their placement end as the contract end date.

NHS Observers may join the library (reference only access) if they will be attached to the Trust for four weeks or longer.

Staff employed by Viapath/Synnovis/Synlab are no longer eligible for access to King's College London's Libraries unless on a course of study at the university or holding affiliate status.

Becoming an affiliate

Any Trust staff involved in teaching, research or administration on behalf of the university may be entitled to register for an affiliate email account, which in turn will generate remote access to significant additional electronic resources.

Further details on applying for an account can be found on the King’s Affiliate Account Request page.

Renew / update

It is straightforward to renew your access to the Library.  When contacted just email library@kcl.ac.uk from your work email to reconfirm your identity and to request your account is renewed. Library staff will check the details we hold for you remain up to date.

Please note that all King's IT accounts will be disabled after 90 days of inactivity and you will need to contact Library Services to have your account reactivated.  IT Services will notify you 7 days before your account is due to be disabled.   

If you are moving to another Trust within King's Health Partners then we would ask you to confirm these changes in the same way.

If you have not visited a Library for several months then you may need to visit the local KCL security desk to have your card reactivated.

PRUH Library