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The Library Toad

Artist: Rebecca Dennison

Philip Larkin was University Librarian from 1955 to his death in 1985.

He was also one of the greatest poets in the English-speaking world. In 2010, the city commemorated the 25th anniversary of his death through a six-month programme of artistic events. One - inspired by a Larkin poem,

"Toads' - was the sudden appearance of 40 large and beautifully decorated fibre-glass toads in locations in Hull and the East Riding (including one in the University Business School). Their popularity amongst the people of Hull was phenomenal.

In 2015, the University decided to commission a second Larkin toad to mark the opening of the newly refurbished Brynmor Jones Library.

Rebecca Dennison, a local artist and, coincidentally, a member of staff at the University, won the design competition. The design is based on one of Larkin's early poems, "The North Ship' (1944) and incorporates lines of Larkin's poetry which capture his observations of the sea. Through the ships' names, it also alludes to past and present Librarians at the University of Hull; the ships' official numbers are replaced by Library of Congress classification numbers (chosen for their relevance). The whole reflects Hull's strong maritime links and suggests Larkin's affection for this 'isolate city spread alongside water' whose 'working skyline wanders to the sea'.

The Library Toad was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull, Councillor Anita Harrison, at a ceremony on 8th August 2015 as part of a weekend of Larkin celebrations, 'Toads Revisited'.

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20pounds per year

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Liang Jiayu

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Have you all watched the short video here?

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Have you all watched the short video here?

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This page serves as a very gentle introduction to your University Library. There is no doubt about it, you are unlikely to excel in your studies without using the resources provided to you by the Library, so getting comfortable with how to access them is essential.

Students coming onto campus will find great spaces to work and socialise within our building too.

We also have information specifically for new students (and existing students who want to know what has changed since they last visited us) on our main library pages: www.hull.ac.uk/lib.

The Brynmor Jones Library (BJL)

The on-campus library contains over a million books, nearly 400 PCs and 25 bookable group learning rooms. It also has many more informal spaces where you can get out your laptop or just meet to chat with friends and classmates. So that you know you have a space to work when you need it, all high demand desk spaces and group learning rooms (with or without PCs) are now bookable either before you come or when you arrive - and informal spaces do not need booking at all.

The BJL also has timetabled teaching spaces on the ground and second floor, these would appear on your timetable as BRYN TR1-6, with Teaching Rooms 1-4 on the ground floor and Teaching Rooms 5 and 6 on the second floor through the Global Hull Learning Centre.

The Library Team

The library is staffed by a dedicated and friendly team with a wide range of expertise.

Our front line staff are experts in customer service and you will always find a warm welcome when you come into the building or ask for their support online.

We also house the Skills Team who have their own page on this induction site to introduce them, and the sort of help they can provide, to you.

Behind the scenes are many more staff who ensure you have access to the resources and support you need, including archive collections held at the Hull History Centre.

We are all dedicated to your success, so never be worried about asking us a question - we are a very friendly bunch!

Online resources

Increasingly, you will need to access resources online and by far the biggest part of the library collection is now accessed this way. When you undertake a library search it will indicate whether a resource is, for example, an eBook or journal article which is available online using the link provided. If you are accessing this off-campus, you may need to log-in (look for the words 'Institutional Access' or 'Shibboleth' if it doesn't ask you to log in automatically).

This video shows the basic process for accessing online resources: