Library News and Blogs

Refurbishment work set to begin following major investment in Library facilities

Major work is set to start on the redesign, replacement and expansion of the Sydney Jones Library (SJL) toilet facilities.

This work will start from June and will continue throughout the summer period and into the next academic year.

All toilets will be affected, and work will occur in stages, beginning in the Grove Wing.

Key features of the project will include:

• The complete renovation and redesign of existing toilet facilities across the building.
• The creation of additional toilet facilities, reflecting the high levels of building usage.
• An increase in the number of gender-neutral toilet facilities, whilst still maintaining some single-sex facilities.
• The creation of an accessible Hygiene Room to support users with additional mobility requirements.
• The installation of baby changing facilities.

Partial summer closure - things you need to know:

• Significant portions of these works will occur over summer in order to minimise the disruption to our users. We ask for your patience and understanding while this work is ongoing.
• The SJL Grove Wing and Special Collections and Archives will be closed to users between Monday 3 June and Sunday 15 September (inclusive).
• Physical items from the core library collection should be requested via click and collect, and we ask that users plan ahead and borrow material before 3 June where possible.
• The Researcher Reading Room (Ground Floor Grove wing) will also be closed over the summer, and users are invited to use the dedicated Postgraduate Study Space on 2nd Floor, Abercromby Wing, during this time.
• Users are asked to check the library’s social media regularly for project updates.
• These works only affect the Sydney Jones Library. The Harold Cohen Library will continue to operate as normal.

Director of Libraries, Museums and Galleries, Dr Matt Greenhall said:

We are delighted to have secured this major investment to improve the toilet facilities across the Sydney Jones Library. Our libraries are incredibly popular spaces, used by students, academic colleagues, and visitors to the University. The Sydney Jones Library attracted around 1 million visits during the 2023-2024 academic year and such usage places great strain on the core infrastructure of our buildings. This investment will significantly enhance the experience of our users and is a sign of our continued commitment to improving our library estate. These works will require the partial closure of parts of the library over the summer and some disruption will continue into next academic year. We would like to thank our users for their patience and understanding as we work to improve our buildings and the facilities they contain.

For further information about this works programme, please follow our social media @LivUniLibrary on X and Instagram or email library@liverpool.ac.uk.

For enquiries relating to our Special Archives & Collections, email scastaff@liverpool.ac.uk.