Maughan Library – King’s College London

Very beautiful and the staff are very friendly and accommodating. You must have identification Uni ID to enter. The Compass staff is nice. The library is very aware when the queue is long and they call for help instead of just letting you stand there like the post office…
I also located most of the books that I needed. They have a reference section but it is called The 2 hour book loan section. So, you can check out a book and scan the chapter you need for free, but, again, you will need your Uni ID for this service.
The computer rooms were very easy to use and you can print using your Uni ID.

King’s College Maughan library is an ideal place for studying.
The library has an excellent collection of legal books and journals, and a large collection of humanities fields materials.
If you want to enjoy the atmosphere of being a part of centuries long academic tradition, you can sit in the stunning round reading room (which has also been featured in multiple movies).
Alternatively, if you want all the library resources at hand while simulating the peace and quiet environment of studying in your room, you will love the set up of the rest of the library — the floors are divided into many smaller rooms and mezzanines, where you can tuck yourself away into on of the booths and enjoy a lot of privacy.
It’s a bit of maze, really, so when looking for a particular book, don’t forget to grab the floor plan at the ground floor.
The bottom floor café is not particularly exceptional in its offer of food or drinks, but the staff are really lovely and are always there to cheer you up even during serious stressful times with their smiles. Equally, the front desk staff is always very helpful and lovely.
You do not have to be a King’s College student/​alum to attend the library. There are membership schemes for University of London staff and students, Staff and students from other Higher Education institutions, NHS, Independent Researchers, Associated organisations, M25 Consortium. If you are neither of those, but have a good reason to visit the library, you can contact them for a daily pass or a longer membership.

This library alternately fills my book-​adoring soul with joy and frustration. The frustration comes from the online catalogue that for some reason fails to find the book or journal I need even when I enter the exact title in the search box. Also from the occasionally inconsiderately talkative undergrads who hang out there. That said, it’s a gorgeous building and I feel truly privileged to work in it. The place has plenty of desks and cubicles for working, a labyrinth of bookshelves, and amazing views from the postgraduate study tower.

Die Maughan Library & ISC ist eine der Universitätsbibliotheken des King’s College London und befindet sich an der Chancery Lane, genauer gesagt auf der östlichen Seite und damit bereits in den Grenzen der City of London.
Neben Büchern aus verschiedenen Fachgebieten (v.a. Humanities, Law) und Computerräumen mit Druckern (PAWS) ist auch eine große Auswahl an Videos und DVDs verfügbar. Im Untergeschoss ist werktags zwischen 10 und 15 Uhr eine Cafeteria in Betrieb.
Wi-​Fi-​Versorgung (inkl. eduroam für Angehörige fremder Hochschulen) ist flächendeckend. Letzteres erscheint aber etwas unsinnig, da man grundsätzlich nur mit einem KCL-​Studentenausweis (Magnetkarte!) durch die Schranken im Eingangsbereich kommt. Es heißt «No ID — No Entry». Man muss aber seinen Rucksack nicht einschließen und auch die Jacke kann an bleiben.
Ich mag diese Bibliothek irgendwie trotzdem, nicht. Auch wenn es ein Altbau ist, der schon als Filmkulisse diente. Vielleicht ist es die Atmosphäre, die grausige Systematik — man wandert durch die Gänge und die Regale sind kaum beschriftet — oder die Brandschutztüren, die alle gefühlte fünf Meter im Gang sind. Ich weiß es wirklich nicht. Hat man aber die Gelegenheit, kann man sich die Library auf jeden Fall anschauen — und danach auf ein Bierchen im direkt gegenüberliegenden Pub, The Knights Templar…
Anfahrt: Bus ⁵⁹⁄₉₁ Aldwych/​The Royal Courts of Justice; Central Line Chancery Lane; District & Circle Line Temple (Vorsicht, von Temple aus ist ein Hügel zu besteigen).

In a word, stunning.
The building housing the Maughan library is absolutely magnificent. Housed in a 19^th-​century Gothic building, the library is beautiful and filled with period pieces both inside and out.
However, because the library is in a grade II* listed building, nothing about it can be changed. Therefore, as a researcher, the labyrinthine stacks are not only intimidating; they are downright frustrating. No matter how many times one looks for the Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, one inevitably finds oneself wandering around the first and first-​mezzanine levels cursing under ones breath at the journal’s seeming elusiveness. (And if one is looking for a journal title starting with a Z for the first time, (s)he will be baffled to find it on the opposite side of the library and on another floor with respect to the REST of the library’s journals after bewilderedly wandering around the majority of the library’s journal titles for 30 minutes. Infuriating.)
More often than not, I find books I desperately want to consult are checked out, and the library’s holdings aren’t as numerous as those at the Senate House Library.
While the interior furnishings are comfortable, contemporary, and functional, the library’s mezzanine levels seem to confuse people. That is, they seem to confuse people into thinking if they’re on the mezzanine level that they can have rather loud conversations with their friends without disturbing people studying on the main floor just below them. After unwillingly being subjected to conversations about one too many a drunken antic of an undergraduate, the library has left me a little jaded.
For this reason, the library is, sadly, simply okay. Considering its beauty, location and history alone, it is a five-​star facility.

The King’s Maughan University is one of my favourite university libraries. It was near my campus and I would often head there to do some work.
It is in a large handsome building between the law courts and Fleet Street. The library itself is similarly large, and seems to house Kings Humanities collection. It is a decent collection, and LSE is across the road if you need other social sciences books. The mix means that you can get a reading book if you get bored of your work. Rather than having large swathes of seating there a lots of little tables, and small seating rooms. The seats are incredibly comfy and there are dividers so you don’t feel exposed. It can sometimes be a little chatty but if you need to crack on there is a beautiful dome roofed quiet work room on the ground floor and higher up there are individual cubical like offices where you can really concentrate. There is also a café in the basement where you can go for a break. Additionally, Kings Students are largely very friendly and there is a nice atmosphere about the place.
The Kings Maughan Library is a great library that I would encourage ULU members and academics to make use of.