Rules and Policies
The Aga Khan Library is directly accessible to:
- Current students and staff of The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS).
- Current students and staff of The Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC).
- Staff from the London offices of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Aga Khan Development Network working in London (AKDN).
To access the library, you will need an Aga Khan Centre card.
For more access information, or to request an account, please visit the Access and Membership page.
We will create your Login when we register you on the library system. You will receive your Login on a Welcome email. For reference, most logins will have the following structure: name.surname
On the Welcome email, you will also find a link to choose your preferred Password.
Students
15 items (max. 5 CDs or DVDs)
Faculty
15 items (max. 5 CDs or DVDs)
Staff (IIS and AKU-ISMC)
15 items (max. 5 CDs or DVDs)
Staff (AKF and AKDN)
15 items (max. 5 CDs or DVDs)
Books
Three weeks (renewable)
CDs and DVDs
One week (renewable)
Course Readings
Course readings can only be borrowed by the students and faculty of the IIS and the AKU-ISMC.
• Books with green stickers can be borrowed for three days.
• Books with red stickers can be borrowed from 5.30pm, and must be returned by 10.30am on the next working day.
• Reference items in the course readings collection cannot be borrowed.
• To ensure fair circulation among students, course readings cannot be renewed.
• A maximum of one red and two green course readings can be borrowed at a time.
GPISH and STEP Long Loans
Certain items can be borrowed by GPISH and STEP students for up to six months. Other users can borrow these for three weeks, unless they are in high demand by IIS students.
Reference Items
Reference items cannot be borrowed.
Standard (three weeks)
£0.25 per day
Long loans (six months)
£0.25 per day
CDs and DVDs (one week)
£0.25 per day
Short loans (one week)
£0.25 per day
Course readings (3 days)
£0.75 per day
Course readings (overnight loans)
£0.25 per hour
You will receive an automated reminder email two days before any items on your account become overdue. On the day items are due, the library system will send another reminder.
You can renew books, CDs and DVDs once for the same length as their original loan period.
You can renew materials by:
- Clicking on the link that appears on the automated loan courtesy notice and logging in with your library Login and Password.
- Using the library’s self-checkout kiosk.
- Contacting the library team
You can place holds on materials currently on loan by logging into My Library with your Login and Password, and searching for the title. The library system will send you a message once the materials on hold return to the library. You will have seven days to collect them.
All visitors are welcome to use any seating space available in the library. However, please do not take exclusive use of any room that contains part of the collection.
Our librarians regularly clear items from the tables to maintain a tidy environment and re-shelve books for other library users. Please inform a librarian if you wish for the items in your regular study space not to be re-shelved. This option is not available for the study carrels on our second floor.
There are photocopiers and scanners distributed around the library. You can use them for free.
We are committed to copyright legislation, and hold a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency. Researchers, students and staff are allowed to photocopy copyrighted materials for personal research or teaching purposes within the following limits:
- One whole chapter of a book.
- One whole article from a journal issue.
- One paper of a set of conference proceedings.
- One poem or short story (not exceeding 10 pages in length) of an anthology.
- One whole report of a case of a series of judicial proceedings.
- Or 10% of any of the above, whichever is greater.
You can find reminders about copyright and how much you are allowed to copy on the posters above the equipment. If you are uncertain, please ask a librarian.
You can find additional information about UK and international copyright legislation here: