News and problems

From 1 September, we will no longer issue temporary day passes to visitors.  Members of the public who would like to visit the University Library should apply for an external membership through our website.  Please allow at least five days for us to process your application and print your card, and then collect it in person from the University Library Reception Desk during staffed hours.   

Once you have your external membership card, you will be able to use the University Library at any time the building is open by scanning your card at the entry turnstiles.  Adult external members will also be able to borrow up to two books at a time using our self-service kiosks.    

Under-18s membership

Young people aged 16-18 years may be issued an external membership card but are unable to borrow books and, for their first visit, will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order for them to complete a short consent form giving their permission for the use of our services. These forms may only be obtained from library staff during Reception Desk opening hours.

More information 

Please see our Visitors webpage for more information.  If you have any unanswered questions, please contact the Library.

You can now book a 1-2-1 appointment with your Faculty Librarian using the new web form on the How we can help Library webpage.

Complete the webform to tell us who you are and how you would like us to help and when you are available to meet and we will either email you if there is an instant answer or your Faculty Librarian will offer dates/times for an 1-2-1 chat in person or online.  You can still email your Faculty Librarian directly through your Subject page if you want to ask them a question directly.

Help us to help you

It always helps if you can tell us as much detail as reasonably possible, including:

• What you would like help with - including any assignment/essay title
• What you are trying to do - develop a search strategy, find specific information, get started on an assignment, and so on
• What, if anything, you have done/found already

Don't forget the Library Help Desk and 24/7 online chat!

Library Help Desk 

Stop by the Library Help Desk (also known as the Library Skills Drop-in) between 11 am - 3 pm, Monday - Friday for a face-to-face chat with a friendly librarian.  We can demonstrate how resources work, help you develop search strategies, help you find information for assignments, and even help you get to grips with referencing.  Find us just behind the Reception Desk. 

Chat with us 24/7

We can answer almost all your login/access queries, advise on APA referencing, and help you get started with most information searches and assignments in a matter of minutes.  It is almost always worth chatting with us online in the first instance and then booking a librarian using the web form if you need more specialised, in-depth help and support.  Click on the chat button on the blue and white chat button on the Library website at any time to start a new chat.  

We regret that our British Standards Online (BSOL) subscription has unexpectedly lapsed, and we have temporarily lost access.  We are working with the British Standards Institute to restore access as quickly as possible.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we restore access.

We have been receiving enquiries from clients trying to access "Visible bodies" who have encountered a paywall when trying to log in.

You must register while on campus or connected to the University's VPN before you use this resource for the first time.  Once registered, you will be able to log in from anywhere without using the VPN.  

You can find video guides on setting up and reconnecting to the VPN on MyPort.

We hope you are enjoying using the new Ebook Central Reader app to read your ebooks.  Built by the same people as the Ebook Central platform, the new app and Ebook Central are designed to work seamlessly together, offering an improved experience over the old app. 

If you have not already done so, you just need to download the app and link it to your Ebook Central account to get started.  Any ebooks you already downloaded on your device will still be available.

Getting started

We recommend at least reading the quick start guide below before attempting to register your new Ebook Central Reader app.  You can also watch a short video and sign up for an online training session:

• Download the quick start pdf guide 

• Watch a short video walkthrough 

• Sign up for an online training session 

You can find more help and guidance on the Library blog.  Library staff are also here in person and online to offer guidance and answer any questions you might have.

While we’ve worked hard to ensure a smooth transition, with so large a project it is inevitable that a few things won't work as expected right away. We believe the teething problems with the new website have been resolved but if you find anything that doesn't seem to work as expected or you cannot find anything you need, please let us know.  

Thank you for your support as we work continuously to enhance your digital library experience.

Workarounds

The passwords page requires a VPN connection to access from off campus. (Updated: 15 July 2025)

If you find a link to one of our eresources is broken, you can still access it through the Library catalogue.  Visit the Library search page, search the Library catalogue (the second search box) for the resource by name, click on the catalogue search result, then follow the link in the catalogue record.

Please chat with a librarian online or email library@port.ac.uk if you have any questions or concerns or need access to content that is not currently available to you. 

We also encourage you to complete our feedback webform to let us know about any problems you are experiencing.