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Library notices

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) Library reports matters of current interest to IFoA students and members about the library service and member facilities at the IFoA offices:

eLibrary resources available while IFoA Libraries are closed

The IFoA has a policy in place in response to the Coronavirus outbreak, please read it regarding IFoA offices, operations and events during current changing circumstances and following new government and public health advice.

Both IFoA Edinburgh and IFoA London member lounges and library areas are currently closed, and the Libraries cannot lend printed books, with apologies for the inconvenience. Please consider existing books on loan issued to 30 September 2020.

Please read below for access to the IFoA eLibrary and Actuarial Knowledge Hub and routes to online resources for study, professional development and research. Follow links to 'eBook collection' and 'eBook Central', two providers of eBooks, or search the Hub for topic keywords to retrieve articles from subscribed journals.

Library resources for IFoA exams

The Curriculum from 2019 guides students to supporting resources for respective subjects as they prepare for IFoA examinations in the new syllabus. For most examination subjects, the IFoA Library offers 'Resources' pages listing suggested additional reading and references. These can complement subject syllabus study and there are also some textbooks that form core reading for examinations CB2 and SP9:

Resources for:  CB1 -- CB2 || CM1 -- CM2 || CS1 -- CS2 || CP2 ||

Resources for:  SP4 || SP5 || SP6 || SP7 || SP8 || SP9 ||

Resources for:  SA1 || SA2 || SA3 || SA4 || SA7 ||

After member login to the Actuarial Knowledge Hub, IFoA members and students can follow 'Access ebook' links to book titles listed on the Resources pages for each exam subjects.

Staple Inn Actuarial Society papers. The SIAS website also offers a news page for students to find these SIAS papers suggested for additional reading for SA exam subjects. Click on the exam subject to reveal SIAS papers of interest.

The Economist country reports

By licence with The Economist Intelligence Unit, the IFoA Library offers access to the latest EIU country report for the United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States, China and Japan to support students preparing the IFoA SA7 exam with background reading on recent trends. All members can access the latest country report as issued after member login first to the IFoA website, and following the links to the respective reports that will show on the 'Resources for Subject SA7 Investment and Finance Advanced' page. There is no access to archived or previous country reports so it is advised to login regularly for the latest monthly or yearly report.

IFoA eLibrary and new 'Actuarial Knowledge Hub'

The eLibrary is now available to members and affiliates who login via the IFoA website with their IFoA member credentials here. Upon login, IFoA members open the 'Actuarial Knowledge Hub', an integrated research portal.  The Hub brings together several distinct sources of research in actuarial science in one search:

  • The online journals and ebooks available to IFoA members;
  • The valuable catalogue of over 30,000 abstracts and references from journals worldwide built up over many decades by library staff;
  • The IFoA library catalogue and its 20,000 records of hard copy holdings;
  • A complete index of Actuary magazine features;
  • The catalogue of historic rare books collected by the Faculty and Institute since their formation and added to this day on the history and development of actuarial science;
  • Thousands of relevant references from research databases across the world.

Among the journal collections available are archives of the Annals of Actuarial Science and British Actuarial Journal and also the European Actuarial Journal, the Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, the Journal of Risk and Insurance, the North American Actuarial Journal, and the Scandinavian Actuarial Journal.

Members also have access to over 300 eBooks, from titles to support exam reading to insurance, pensions, risk management and general business books. 

Upon request, the IFoA Library Service can set up individual 'Athens' accounts for non-members registered to sit the IFoA's next CM1, CS1 or SP9 exams for a limited period.

To find out more contact the library service at libraries@actuaries.org.uk or access the Knowledge Hub as a guest user at http://discovery.actuaries.org.uk. to find references for research on your subject enquiry.

IFoA Library catalogue

The Library Service now offers an upgraded online library catalogue which covers all library resources and now includes historical holdings published before 1901 that can be viewed at the Library by arrangement . Members and affiliates can send a 'Request' to the IFoA Library Service to borrow selected results of those printed resources available for loan or export selected catalogue references into a reading list. Access the Library catalogue at: http://library.actuaries.org.uk

The library offers search links to new additions to its catalogue by broad subjects. Alternatively this search of the catologue finds added books and ebooks published since 2018.

External study: Arrangements for IFoA students to use external university and other local library facilities

IFoA students seeking alternative library study space can apply to local university libraries for a non-university library card subject to their admissions policy. The IFoA Library can provide a letter of introduction to support your application to a university or another library facility - please contact libraries@actuaries.org.uk.

Please note that university libraries prioritise access and study spaces for their students especially during busier university exam periods.

International Actuarial Association, Actuaries Without Borders – ‘Book drive’ donation scheme

Do you have textbooks no longer used from past exam study? The IAA has a ‘Book drive’ scheme inviting those wishing to pledge book titles listed as requested by overseas universities for their actuarial courses. Financial donations to the scheme are also welcome.

Contact Details

For any library enquiries please contact:

libraries@actuaries.org.uk

We try to respond to email queries within one working day. Researcher access to historical resources may require notice in advance of visit in order to retrieve items from storage.

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Events calendar

  • Autumn Lecture 2020: Professor Elroy Dimson

    Online webinar
    14 October 2020

    Spaces available

    Many individuals and institutions have a long-term focus, and invest funds for the benefit of future generations. Their strategy should reflect their long horizon. University endowments are one of the oldest classes of institutional investor, and I will present the first study of the management of these endowments over the very long term.

  • GIRO Conference 2020 Webinar Series

    Available to watch globally in November.
    02-13 November 2020
    Spaces available

    This year's GIRO has been re-designed as a virtual conference to offer members and non-members the opportunity to get up to date content from leading experts in the general insurance field via online webinars. All sessions will be recorded and made available to purchase and re-watch post-event on the IFoA's GI Online Learning Resource area. 

  • Life Conference 2020 Webinar Series

    Online
    16 November 2020 - 27 November 2020

    Spaces available

    This year's Life Conference has been re-designed as a virtual conference to offer members and non-members the opportunity to get up to date content from leading experts in the life insurance field via online webinars. All sessions will be recorded and made available to purchase and re-watch post-event on the IFoA's website.

  • Autumn Pensions Webinar: To the end game and beyond

    Webinar
    2 December 2020

    Spaces available

    The webinar will discuss the challenges and opportunities schemes face in evaluating end game options, choosing a target state and understanding the impact this strategic decision could have on member outcomes long after the “end state” is reached. Adolfo, Kevin and Rhian bring over 60 years of experience in the industry and a variety of perspectives as scheme actuary, covenant adviser, trustee, de-risking adviser and insurer.

  • Autumn Pensions Webinar: Cash is King - What next for CDI?

    Webinar
    4 December 2020

    Spaces available

    Cash-flow driven investing is a game-changer for DB pension funds navigating their end-game. Suitable for sponsors who want to reduce risks on their balance sheets. And for trustees, it shifts the focus to providing greater certainty of returns, managing funding level volatility and ensuring they have enough income to pay cash-flow requirements.

  • Autumn Pensions Webinar: Legal update - The letter of the law

    Webinar
    7 December 2020

    Spaces available

    Patrick Kennedy, Partner at Gateley Legal and Founding Director of Entrust (a leading professional pensions trustee company), will be delivering an update on the latest legal developments during the course of 2020. With both a pensions legal perspective and over 25 years of trustee service, Patrick will seek to highlight how the letter of the law has continued to evolve against the backdrop of a difficult and challenging year

  • Autumn Pensions Webinar: Impact of Dividends

    Webinar
    8 December 2020

    Spaces available

    The talk will provide an understanding of the priorities and relationships between deficit reduction contributions, in the context of wider scheme funding, and different types of value outflow from the employer based on the working party’s recently published report.