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The library

Knowledge Centre opening times

The Knowledge Centre is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with a librarian on-site to support from 10am to 4pm.

Using the Knowledge Centre and library services

Our library is open to the public. You can enjoy free access to our collection of books, journals and digital resources, including standards and articles when you visit us.

Members and student members can borrow up to 10 books at a time. If you can’t visit in person, we offer free worldwide postal loans, but members must return items in person or by recorded delivery. 

Looking for a quiet place to work or study? Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and docking monitors in our Knowledge Centre. For more privacy, members can book meeting rooms in the Faraday centre for free online.

Research and document supply services

We can offer free assistance with your research, using our collections and beyond. We’re happy to help with finding facts, statistics, and with literature searches.

If you’re looking for a specific article, we can send it to you in print or electronic format. Our aim is to supply copies within 48 hours of receiving your order.

This service is open to all, worldwide, with IET members receiving a preferential rate. If one of our members is looking for an article not held in our collections, we can usually source it from the British Library. Small charges may apply here.

See more on our library research services

Digital resources

IET members get free, online access to a range of eBooks, eJournals and standards, 24/7, anytime and anywhere through our library. Just sign in with your MyIET account when prompted to instantly access.  

Start exploring our digital resources via our dedicated EBSCO Discovery Service.

We are constantly adding to our digital resources to provide a wide variety of up-to-date, accessible content, and welcome member recommendations and suggestions.

See more about our Digital resources

IET Archives

Our archive centre is located at Savoy Hill House – next door to Savoy Place. This purpose-built repository housing core archive collections and the rare books libraries is open to IET members, researchers, and the public.

The material includes rare books that date back to the 1300s, but the majority of the collections are from the 19th and 20th centuries.

As most of the archive collections are stored off-site you will need to book an appointment, usually allowing at least one week's notice before your intended visit. This allows time for the material to be brought back to Savoy Hill House.

Inspec

The Inspec database contains 20 million bibliographic and indexed records to physics and engineering global research literature.

It can be used to:

  • Alert you to new developments in your field
  • Track new technology and products
  • Monitor competitors
  • Search for patent novelty
  • Analyse data by a wide variety of parameters

Find out more about Inspec