LibGuides: Visitors' guide to the Library: Membership

Becoming a member of the Library

If you are aged 18 or over and you're thinking of registering to use the Library, there are three types of membership.

Associate Member (Reference) - if you want to come in and work in the libraries but don't need to borrow any books
Associate Member (Borrowing) for free - if you want to borrow books and you fall into one of the categories in the table below
Associate Member (Borrowing) by subscription - if you want to borrow books but aren't eligible under any of the categories, you can join for £30 per year.

Please use the online form at the bottom of the page to apply for new membership or renewing an existing membership.

Eligibility for Associate Membership (Borrowing) for free

Category of membership	Proof of eligibility	Length of membership
Former students of Sheffield Hallam University	Original degree certificate (please note transcripts or letters from Faculties cannot be accepted) OR Alumni ID Photo ID Proof of home address Your library account from when you were a student must not have any unpaid fines or fees.	1 year from registration
Retired Sheffield Hallam staff	Photo ID Proof of home address Staff ID or recent payslip Your library account from when you were a member of staff must not have any unpaid fines or fees. Please note: this category of membership is open only to staff who have retired from the University, not former staff.	1 year from registration
Student or member of staff at another university (application for SCONUL Access Band A, B, C) SCONUL access Band R (Reference Only)	SCONUL Access approval email University student or staff card Proof of home address You need to apply for SCONUL Access and receive your approval email before you can apply for Associate Membership of Hallam Library.	Period of course or employment (maximum 3 years)
Sheffield City Council staff	Photo ID Proof of home address Council staff ID or recent payslip (printed or electronic)	1 year from registration
South Yorkshire Fire and Police officer	Photo ID Proof of home address South Yorkshire Fire staff ID or recent payslip (printed or electronic)	1 year from registration
Teachers from local schools	Photo ID Proof of home address School staff ID or recent payslip (printed or electronic)	1 year from registration
Lecturers at Sheffield College	Photo ID Proof of home address College staff ID or recent payslip (printed or electronic)	1 year from registration
Lecturers and tutors from the NHS	Photo ID Proof of home address NHS staff ID or recent payslip (printed or electronic)	1 year from registration
Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (CSES) Associates	Photo ID Proof of home address CSES identification	1 year from registration
Staff from Sheffield Health Promotion Centre	Photo ID Proof of home address Sheffield Health Promotion Centre identification	1 year from registration
PhD students on placement at the Michael Carlisle Centre	Photo ID Proof of home address NHS identification	1 year from registration
Member of teaching staff on a Sheffield Hallam-validated course at one of the University's partner colleges	Proof of home address College ID	1 year from registration

Become an Associate Member (Borrowing) by subscription

If you are over 18 and not eligible for Associate Membership under any of the categories above, you can apply to join as a subscription member. The subscription fee for 1 year's membership is £30.

You will need to upload your photo ID and proof of home address, e.g. passport and utility bill, when you complete the application form. The form will take you to the University's secure online payment platform.

Membership

To apply for a new Associate Membership or renew an expired membership, please fill in our online application form.

We aim to approve applications within 48 hours. Please allow up to 10 days for your Associate Member SHUcard to arrive.

To avoid any delays, please make sure you provide the documents requested in the form and include a passport-style photo of the correct size and format. This means:

front facing
your full face must be visible, with no face coverings
no emojis or filters
no photos from another document, e.g. your passport.

The photo will be used on your Associate Member SHUcard so must be suitable for identification purposes.

Get a replacement SHUcard

If you have lost or damaged your SHUcard or had it stolen and your Associate Membership is still valid, you will need to get another card in order to continue using the Library.

Please visit the Online Store for a replacement SHUcard or scan QR code below