Opening Hours
The RAS Library is usually open from 10:00–17:00 Tuesday to Friday, except on Bank Holidays.
Visitor Access
Fellows
Fellows are welcome to come in and browse the books and journals on open access shelves during normal opening hours, but we do recommend making an appointment to be sure of reserving desk space. You can borrow books but journals are reference only.
You will need to make an appointment to consult material from the rare book and archive collections, and for any material which needs to be fetched from the reserve collection. The online catalogue will indicate whether a book is in the main or reserve collection, but if you have any questions, just ask.
Friends of the RAS
Friends of the RAS are welcome to use the Library for reference at any time during normal opening hours. You will need to register as a borrower in order to borrow books.
You will need to make an appointment to consult material from the rare book and archive collections, and for any material which needs to be fetched from the reserve collection. The online catalogue will indicate whether a book is in the main or reserve collection, but if you have any questions, just ask.
Other readers
Researchers and members of the public are welcome to consult the Library's collections by appointment.
To make an appointment, please contact the library and archive team who will check that we have the materials you need and arrange a time for you to visit the Library. You will need to bring identification with you so that we can register you as a reader.
Enquiries
We are happy to answer general enquiries about our collections and the services we provide. Before you submit an enquiry, you might find the answer in our book and journal catalogue or our archive catalogue. For details of these and other sources of information on astronomy and geophysics, and biographical information on past Fellows, see Help with your research.
If you can't find the answer to your question on the website, contact the library and archive team. We can't carry out detailed research for users but will point you in the direction of alternative sources of information if they exist.
