Access is restricted to Strathclyde student and other library membership card holders,[2] retired staff and corporate members.

The library moved to the new McCance Building designed by Ralph Covell on Richmond Street in 1964 shortly before the Royal College gained its Charter to become the University of Strathclyde.

But by the mid 1970s the library was outgrowing the McCance Building, and by this point the University had purchased the former printing works of William Collins, Sons[5] on Cathedral Street.

The building itself is named after Sir Samuel Curran, the Principal who had oversaw the University's foundation and growth from the former Royal College and served between 1964 and 1980.

The building's naming took place shortly before Curran's retiral and his succession by Sir Graham Hills in 1981, who would lead Strathclyde through the next decade.

The Library provides free internet access through the desktop computers, eduroam Wi-Fi, or through a handful of hardwired Ethernet ports.

[10] The library holds around 3,200 volumes from John Anderson, Alexander Laing and James Young collectively, all from a period between 1490 and the end of the 19th century.

Throughout the years, members, authors and publishers have all donated books to the collection making most publications, journals and famous guidebooks available within the library.

The collection contains books and manuscripts on alchemy and early science dating from the 15th to the 19th century and is listed in a printed bibliography, Bibliotheca Chemica (Glasgow, 1906) by John Ferguson.

The Andersonian Library also contains a "Strathclyde Collections" section which was created to conserve as complete a record as possible of publications relating to the University.