Library News and Blogs

Phased reopening of study spaces in the Library

Following the announcement this week of the government’s roadmap to gradually ease lockdown measures, we are introducing a phased approach to reopening Library spaces.

We have been keeping all operating arrangements under close review, and we feel that we can now safely begin to move on to the first phase.

The first phase will involve reopening a limited number of study spaces for essential use, including desk only and PC spaces, in the Sydney Jones Library from Monday 1st March. Spaces will initially be reopened on the ground floor of the Library to allow us to increase capacity in the buildings whilst ensuring that staff can continue to carry out other duties, such as shelving and book retrieval for Click & Collect reservations, in separate areas of the Library where the book stacks are located.

Using study spaces in both campus libraries

• Both the Sydney Jones Library and the Harold Cohen Library will be open from 8am-11pm, 7 days a week.
• All study spaces, including study spaces on the ground floor of the Sydney Jones Library, will be available to book via the Library space booking system.
• Study spaces in the Sydney Jones Library include PC desks, desk only spaces and an accessible study desk.
• Bookings can be made up to 48 hours in advance with a maximum of 30 hours per week (Sun-Sat). Study space usage will remain under review and we will make adjustments to booking limits as necessary.
• You can book an individual study space but group study is currently not permitted, even with members of your household or bubble.
• Printing services will be available in both libraries. You must book a space in advance before visiting to use printing services. You can also use Print Anywhere to send your documents to print from your personal laptop or PC, even if you are off campus before you visit the library to reduce length of your visit.
• The Library helpdesks are currently unstaffed but you can still contact us if you need support. Find out how you can get in touch.

Health and Safety measures when visiting the Library

As always, cleaning of the Library will be undertaken regularly and cleaning materials will be provided in the Library including hand sanitiser stations and wipes to clean study spaces and PCs before and after your visit.

If you need to visit the Library, you must take personal responsibility for adhering to all public health measures including wearing a face covering at all times (unless exempt), maintaining a safe distance from others and washing your hands regularly.

Eating within the Library is temporarily prohibited; however, drinking is still permitted. This is to reduce the number of occasions that users are required to remove their face coverings during visits. We advise that, if you must visit the Library, you plan your visit around meal times or make alternative arrangements to eat outside of the Library.

All safety measures are in place to protect our staff and students and we appreciate your cooperation as it greatly helps our staff if we don’t have to remind you to adhere to the safety guidelines.

Accessing physical resources from the Library

The Click & Collect service will continue to run with collection from the Sydney Jones Library only, 11am – 4pm Monday - Friday, to provide essential access to copies that are not available online.

This service is available for essential access to items from both the Harold Cohen and the Sydney Jones libraries.

Staff and students can also request to reserve items held in the Sydney Jones Library for Library Use Only. This reference service allows users to visit the Library to consult material without having to take them away. You will also be required to book a space to use the materials within the Library. Find out more about Click & Collect - Library Use Only.

Books can be returned to the book return boxes in the Harold Cohen Library or to the Sydney Jones Library 7 days a week.

The Book and Copy Delivery Service will also continue to be available for staff and students who cannot visit the Library to collect requested items.

To keep up to date with everything you need to know about using the Library at the moment, visit our guide to using the Library during the national lockdown.