SCONUL offers two levels of membership, full and associate. Membership of SCONUL is institutional.

Institutions eligible for full membership of SCONUL will:

• be a national library of one of the nations of the UK or Ireland, designated under the appropriate national legislation

  and / or

• hold a collection of national significance within the UK or Ireland which is made available as a resource for academic study.  

  and / or

• be a centre of research excellence in the UK or Ireland with a professionally managed library service of appropriate scale and type for the institution

  and / or

• be a member of CONUL, the consortium of Ireland’s main research libraries

  or

• be an institution wholly or largely devoted to the provision of Higher Education in the UK which
   
  1. holds UK taught degree awarding powers
  2. can demonstrate that it provides a professionally managed library service of an appropriate scale and type for the institution
  3. has a five-year track record of research
  4. is a UK registered charity.

Institutions which don’t meet the above criteria may be eligible for associate membership of SCONUL if they are an institution which provides Higher Education in the UK which

1. can demonstrate that it provides a professionally managed library service of an appropriate scale and type for the institution and
2. holds UK taught degree awarding powers at above foundation level.

Decisions on membership ultimately lie with the SCONUL Board and their judgement will be final. The Board reserves the right to refuse membership to otherwise eligible institutions should there be perceived to be a conflict of interest between the applying organisation and our charitable objectives.

Associate membership will not be open to institutions which meet the criteria for full membership.

All current members of SCONUL may continue as full members of SCONUL.