The College Library

Our helpful library and information services team is here to help you find the information you need for your research or CPD, or to stay up-to-date with clinical matters. We also have a number of online services available to members.

The library at Craven Street is NOW OPEN

You search our catalogue online, or visit us in person by booking an appointment.

The library is located within the College building at: 
42 Craven St 
London 
WC2N 5NG.  

Telephone: 020 7766 5358

Email: library@college-optometrists.org

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 10am - 2pm

The library catalogue 

Log on to the library catalogue to browse the library collection, search for online resources, and access e-books and journals using your OpenAthens account. Members can request an OpenAthens user name and password by emailing library@college-optometrists.org.

Using the library 

Practising members may borrow up to four items and students and pre-registration trainees can borrow two items at a time, for a period of 28 days. 

Loans are automatically renewed, four times, as long as they haven’t been reserved by another member. 

If we don’t have the item that you are looking for, please email library@college-optometrists.org. We source non-College resources from the British Library. We charge £10 for a digital copy of an article and £15 for a book loan.

January 2024: Due to a severe cyber-attack on the British Library webpages, this service has been put on hold until further notice.

Library services

The library also offers the following services for members: 

Literature search services

Members engaging in practice-based research, or anybody doing research that is not part of a degree course, can ask the Library & Information Services Manager to carry out a literature search on their behalf. 

We can also provide training on how to devise a search strategy, and how to search relevant databases and websites for literature on your chosen topic. We can do this in person, over the phone or via the internet. Contact the library to book an appointment.

Contact library@college-optometrists.org or phone 020 7766 5358.

Photocopying 

We can copy journal articles, research reports, sections of books and other publications from our library collection, and send them to you by or email or in the post. Simply fill in our simple request form:

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