Using The Library

Our team of friendly and professional staff at the library help desks are available to help you get the best out of the wide array of print and online collections, and the support services available to you

Areas we can help with include:

• Finding books and ebooks on your reading lists, and using the library catalogue (Library Search)
• Borrowing, renewing and requesting print material
• Locating subject information for your assignments and class projects
• Help searching library databases for academic journal articles
• Help with citing and referencing / avoiding plagiarism queries
• General assistance with all library services and collections

If you have any questions, our staff are happy to help, you just need to ask! You'll find the library help desk on the ground floor of each library. 

All general queries: library@dcu.ie

Live Chat Available: Get fast answers to short queries with our live chat feature. Simply look for the pop-out tab and a member of staff will reply almost instantly.

Available Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm

Instagram dcu_library
TikTok @dculibrary
Bluesky @dculibrary.bsky.social‬ 
Youtube DCULibrary

Opening hours available here

• The Library opening hours vary throughout the year. Check the library website regularly for updates.
• For our extended opening hours the library will open for ‘Study Only’. Library staff will not be available, however, self service machines can be used to borrow and return library materials.  PCs and printing facilities will also be available.
• DCU Library online resources (ebooks, ejournals) available 24/7

Throughout the libraries you will find a range of study spaces for both individual and collaborative study. From soft seating study areas to traditional study desks. We offer secure wifi (Eduroam) and plenty of power points to recharge your devices.

Note: Woodlock Hall Library study spaces are dedicated to individual study only.

Group study rooms for 2 - 6 people are available in Cregan & O'Reilly library and can bee booked online

Terms & Conditions to Note

• As a courtesy to others, we ask that you be mindful of our noise guidelines depending on where you are in our library spaces.
• When leaving the library for whatever reason please bring all your belongings with you.
• Food is not permitted in the library
• Smoking/Vaping in any library space is not permitted
• For a complete list of library rules and regulations, please see our Library Regulations

Cregan Library is located in the G Block on the St Patricks’ Campus. 

Students based on St Patrick’s Campus, and also on All Hallows Campus and studying all aspects of Education and many Humanities subjects, can find key print collections here to support their academic study.

O’Reilly Library is located at the end of the Mall on the Glasnevin Campus. 

Students in Nursing, Business, Sciences, Maths, Engineering, Law & Government, and Communications will find a huge range of tailored print resources available to them here.

Woodlock Hall Library is located in Senior House on the All Hallows Campus.

Woodlock Hall is essentially a humanities library, with content on philosophy, religion, social sciences, literature, history, and Irish material.

We also have a 360 video of the layout of Woodlock Hall Library 

The Special Collections and Archives department houses a diverse array of research materials in various formats, accessible for review within the Reading Room situated on the lower ground floor of the O'Reilly Library.

This department catalogues, preserves and digitizes the library's special collections, and hosts exhibitions and delivers presentations on their content. 

Library Search is DCU Library's discovery platform. Use it to search the Library's collections: books, ebooks, journal articles, and more. 

Watch this short YouTube tutorial to learn the basics: Keyword Search Tutorial

As a DCU registered student you have access to a personal My Library Account to allow you to keep track of loan dates, renewals, and requests.

Take a look at this quick video on how to sign in: My Library Account Tutorial

You can borrow books from any DCU Library for 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the type of loan. When you're done, just return them to any DCU Library or renew them online if you need more time.

Some books aren’t on the open shelves and have to be requested online.

For all the info on borrowing, returning, requesting, or renewing, head over to our Borrow Return Request Renew page.

DCU Library has a large, diverse collection of print books across all three librarie locations. We also have an extensive range of ebooks. These collections can be searched online via our discovery tool, Library Search. 

Watch this short video to learn more about how to find books and ebooks: Finding Books

Find out more about or library's Books & ebooks collections

Journals are expert-written publications, containing research and articles in specific fields, offering credible and peer-reviewed information. 

Databases, on the other hand, are electronic collections of various sources like journals, books, and reports organised for easy searching. 

Learn more about these collections via the webpage: Journals & Databases

PhD. Theses from 1985 can be found online via Doras (DCU Online Research Access Service) DCU's institutional repository. 

For information about accessing Taught Postgraduate dissertations, and other theses and dissertations, see the webpage:

Theses & Dissertations

Our Subject Librarians are available to advise and help you with your research. They also deliver classes and workshops throughout the year.

Your Subject Librarian can advise on:

• Finding quality sources for your essays and projects
• Devising an effective search strategy
• Using the best resources for your discipline
• Conducting a review of the literature
• Citing and referencing sources

You'll find their contact information on the Subject Guides developed by the team. Each guide brings together the best quality information resources available for a given subject and also provides the contact details for your Subject Librarian.

LETS are Library E-Tutorials for Students

These online tutorials will help you to locate, evaluate and use information effectively. You can complete these tutorials via Loop

The library hosts in-person, online, and hybrid, classes and workshops throughout the year. 

Correctly citing your sources is essential when writing assignments. If you're having trouble with referencing or worried about plagiarism, the library can help you!

Chec out our dedicated webpage for more information

Citing & Referencing

Help Desk Plus offers extended support for inquiries that need a little extra time and assistance. 

Sit down with a knowledgeable library staff member to receive helpful guidance in locating resources, navigating databases, and much more. 

Help desk plus is a drop-in service, no appointments needed. 

DCU Library partners with other DCU units to provide a range of different services in the library, from IT support, help with writing assignments, Math assistance and more

Other Supports