Libraries

The National and University Library of Iceland provides a wide range of support services for faculty, staff and students such as:

• Reading facilities
• Study facilities for individuals and groups
• Lending of study material from the library's collection
• Quality library services on weekdays

Students can book an appointment with an information specialist at the library, where the aim is to introduce library resources, support information literacy and teach efficient strategies for academic research.

The branch for the Faculty of Law is located on the third floor at Lögberg and is the largest law library in the country.

The library is open to everyone, but generally, the books are not for lending, except to students and teachers of the Faculty of Law.

The School of Education Library is located in Stakkahlíð and offers a collection mainly covering subjects relating to education. The library has a special database consisting of teaching materials for preschool and secondary school education that offers students guidance on study materials and teaching methods in preparation for their field studies.

Information services and research assistance are offered at the library, as well as instruction on information gathering which is a part of introductory courses at the School of Education. 

Landspítali - University Hospital Division of Library and Scientific Information (website currently in Icelandic only) is located in Eirberg and offers a collection mainly covering subjects relating to Health Sciences.

The library provides library services for the students and faculty of the UI School of Health Sciences and employees of the Landspítali University Hospital.

The Nordic House has a library that is useful for students and teachers in the field of Nordic language studies.

Students and faculty at the University of Iceland have access to various e-resources and large collections of e-books. To utilize this access one must simply be connected to the University Internet.

The website leidarvisar.is offers guides on sources in various academic fields, source work and other practical instructions. Through the website, students can, for example, find information on which e-resources are best suited for each field of study when searching for electronic sources.

Skemman is an open-access digital repository that stores students' final theses and scholarly research by teachers and academics.

Skemman offers access to final theses from students at:

• The University of Iceland
• The University of Akureyri
• Bifröst University
• Reykjavik University
• The Agricultural University of Iceland
• The Iceland University of the Arts

The libraries are all open to the public, however, the School of Education Library, Law Library and University Hospital Division only lend books to certain students and faculty at UI. It is best to check with the libraries themselves for further information.

You have access to e-resources via the University Internet. Should you want to use the UI and the National and University Library of Iceland's access to various different e-resources, including Snara, it is possible to set up a so-called VPN connection that offers access when outside the University campus.

It is also possible for students and faculty to have access to the University Internet at home.

Library cards are generally free for students and faculty, however, in the specialized libraries, book lending is not open to everyone. The Nordic House's Library is a public library where everyone can purchase library cards, but special discounts are only offered to students and teachers in the field of Nordic language studies.