The library is focused on providing an online library service to support fellows, members and RCP students for their professional development and educational goals.
The RCP eLibrary can be accessed 24/7 with an RCP OpenAthens account.
The library team can be contacted by phone: 020 3075 1490 or by email at library@rcp.ac.uk from Monday - Thursday 9am to 5pm; Friday 9am to 4.30pm.
RCP member benefits
We offer clinical and CPD material including ejournals, ebooks and databases to support your professional development:
- Browse our full list of ejournals or search for ebooks on the eLibrary
- Free access to Trip Pro: an easy-to-use search tool for finding clinical research evidence.
- Keep up to date with research in your specialty by downloading the Read app Google Play or Apple Store.
- Request a literature search to save time searching for articles.
- To supplement our ejournal collection, articles in other journals can be sent to you by email using our document delivery service
- For access to the library or to request an appointment with a librarian for assistance with literature searching or online resources email library@rcp.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)20 3075 1490
Support for RCP course students
The library provides a range of material on clinical teaching and education theory to support doctors undertaking courses at the RCP.
- To request an appointment with a librarian for assistance with literature searching or online resources email library@rcp.ac.uk or phone +44 (0)20 3075 1490
RCP eLibrary
We offer access to ejournals, ebooks and databases for members, course students and members of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. Our collection is focused on RCP specialties, clinical teaching, medical leadership, public health, and health policy.
How to access the eLibrary
You will require an RCP OpenAthens account to access the eLibrary. Please contact library@rcp.ac.uk for an account, providing us with a non-NHS email address.
You can reset your OpenAthens password online if you've forgotten it.
If you are having any problems with your log-in, finding what you are looking for, or accessing an article or other resource, please see our online user guides or call +44 (0)20 3075 1490 for further assistance.
Search eLibrary
Literature searching service
Library staff will conduct searches of Medline or Trip pro free of charge for RCP members and the Faculty for Forensic and Legal Medicine, who may place up to three requests per year.
Please call +44(0)20 2075 1490 to discuss your needs or email library@rcp.ac.uk with a completed copy of the literature search request form.
Please note that the turnaround time will depend on staff availability and the complexity of the search:
Article supply and document delivery
We offer a fast and efficient document delivery service. This is an easy way to gain access to the library’s materials. Members and fellows can also request copies of items from other libraries.
Copies from the RCP library
Copies of journal articles and book chapters from our collections can be emailed or posted to you for the following charges:
Copies of RCP publications that are not available for sale or download:
- RCP member: free
- non-RCP member: £7.
Copies of journal articles and book chapters from the RCP library collection:
- RCP member: free
Copies from other libraries
If you are looking for something that is not held in the RCP’s collection, we can source it for you from the British Library, Royal Society of Medicine, or any other UK higher education libraries for the following charges:
- RCP member, student or FFLM member: £7
More information
Heritage collections
For over five centuries the library and archives have collected and commissioned material to support physicians' learning and document our history, providing a fascinating insight into the world of medicine. These collections are available for members to use for research and to support their studies.
Our Collections
The RCP has had a library since its foundation in 1518. RCP fellows, including William Harvey have donated books over the centuries, so the library reflects the collecting habits of past physicians and the broad education they were expected to have. The subject include medicine, science, law, architecture, travel, cookery, and medical advice for the public.
In addition, the archives contain an eclectic range of 14th to 19th century manuscripts including works on astrology, alchemy, religion, travel, medical theory and medical practice. Personal papers of past fellows from the 16th century to the 20th century provide glimpses into the personal lives and social concerns of many distinguished physicians.
The heritage library and archives also contain an ongoing record of the RCP’s activities, from the founding charter of 1518, via 20th century reports on the effects of smoking, to the present. The RCP's role in relation to contemporary medical advances is made clear, with records demonstrating the RCP’s changing role in setting standards in medical practice.
Access the collections