New to the library?

Learn about the online library and how to find and manage resources with our Getting started guide.

Homepage Test New layout

Close-up of a person's hands, holding a phone in one hand and a pen in the other. An open laptop is also present.

News: Develop your Digital Information Literacy skills

Our new badged course helps you develop essential Digital Information Literacy skills for level 1 of an undergraduate degree.Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - 10:32

Close-up of a hand holding a multicoloured heart ornament, representing LGBT+ pride colours.

News: New Library collection for LGBT+ History Month 2025

We've added a new collection to our LGBTQ+ resource list featuring titles relevant to historical figures selected by LGBT+ History…Friday, March 21, 2025 - 13:26

Help and Support: Referencing and plagiarism

Help and Support: How do I do a citation search?

Student working outside at a laptop with a printout

Jun 19

Online Session: Reference management tools - an introduction

Thu, 19/06/2025 - 19:00 Learn how reference management tools work and the benefit and risks of using them.

a young man wearing red headphones using a laptop in a library

Jun 24

Online Session: Improving your experience accessing online resources

Tue, 24/06/2025 - 19:30 If you experience difficulties in reading some full text formats this session will show you how to make adjustments to improve accessibility.

Using the library: Joining the Open University Library

Using the library: Services for postgraduate researchers

Help and Support: Contact the helpdesk

Help and Support: Quick guide to Harvard referencing (Cite Them Right)

The guide on Harvard referencing from the Open University provides a concise overview of how to cite sources correctly using the Harvard style

Library Resources: Selected resources for your study

Books, journals and databases have been selected for each area of study to give you an idea of what is available.

Help and Support: Using other libraries and SCONUL Access

SCONUL Access enables eligible OU students and employees to access space and resources in participating libraries in the UK and the Republic of Ireland to support their research, teaching and learning.

Student in a yellow jumper typing on a laptop keyboard

Help and Support: Finding resources for your assignment

A quick guide to finding information for your assignment, including planning a search, evaluating resources and managing information.

Help and Support: Help with online resources

Guidance and advice for problems accessing online content.

Library Resources: Explore Curated Resources

These resources have been selected in support of the OU's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). You will find books, articles, journals and more to learn about these topics.