UKHSA and OHID staff can reserve or request books they need.
How to reserve a book online
Reserve the book you require using the library catalogue if it is held in our site libraries.
- Log in to the library catalogue. UKHSA staff can use the Single Sign-On button to sign in without a separate password. If you don’t know your login, follow the Forgot your password? link, or register for a library catalogue account if you don’t have one.
- Once you have found the item in the library catalogue you want to reserve, click on Place a reservation.
- Select which library (Colindale, Chilton or Porton) you wish to collect the book from.
- If you require it to be posted to another address, select Show more options and enter your office or home address in the text box.
- Select Confirm reservation to complete the reservation.
- Your reservation will show in your account summary, under Your account. You can cancel your reservation there if the book is no longer required.
- When your reservation is ready to collect, or when it has been posted to you, a member of the KLS team will contact you.
You can also add your office or home address to your library account record to avoid entering it each time:
- Go to Your Account and click on Personal details.
- Add your home address details to the Alternate address section
- Click Submit update request
Books not held by UKHSA libraries
Perform a Discovery Search (via MyAthens) to check if a book is in our collection before requesting it, as not all eBooks are included in the library catalogue.
You can request that we purchase a book in the following ways. Please mention in your request if you prefer an eBook, physical copy, or have no preference.
- Via the library catalogue:
- Log in to the library catalogue (UKHSA staff can use the Single Sign-On button)
- Click on ‘your purchase suggestions’ then ‘New purchase suggestion’
- Complete the form with as many details as possible and click ‘Submit your suggestion’
- Email the details to libraries@kls.ukhsa.gov.uk
- In person to any member of KLS staff
If you only need a chapter, email the details as we can often obtain digital copies of single chapters more quickly than purchasing books.
Last Updated on 23rd April 2025