Thursday, 23 April 2009

Library refurbishment

Yesterday I attended a meeting which was discussing proposals for a major refurbishment of the Main Library. This is currently at a very early stage - it is not officially a 'project' yet as it is still required to go through the required committees. Those behind it are intent on creating a library that will be fit for the needs of students in the future.

I intend to provide more information to Guild Council about these exciting developments soon. Until then I want to hear your suggestions for what you want in the main library redevelopment..

More group study spaces?
Smaller computer clusters?
Air conditioning????

12 comments:

Alex Warents said...

More plugs avaliable for laptop around the library.

Alex Zatman said...

ry staff

Alex Zatman said...

Cafe where the iLounge is and less SS style library staff.

Pippa said...

Would great to have an extra area when through from mid easter to the end of exams, there is filter to stop any non work related sites being accessed, leading to more out put from students in a shorter time and computers only being used by those who needed them for acedemic purposes.
More laptop plugs sound great too.
I wouldn't mind there being a geography section rather than having to hunt for books on all floors but i suppose we cant have everything :S

Siobhan Dunne said...

I agree with more plugs and they definitely need air conditioning in there - it gets unbearably hot in the summer especially.

Anonymous said...

oh and some sort of provision of food, like a proper cafe thing in the i-lounge like there is in different departments

Siobhan Dunne said...

Pippa the geography books are generally in 2D but because the subject covers such a wide range of disciplines that's why we have to go on a hunt!

Sam Harrow said...

Would love to have a café, definitely need more laptop sockets around and more work spaces where they can be used, and a 2nd short loan machine (as if that hasn't been picked up on enough times!).

Anonymous said...

get rid of the thousands of foreign books (im talking things written in Greek which about 5 people studying my course could actually read) and invest in some new decent reading material!!

personally things like food and plugs should wait until they actually have some decent books. maybe it was just my course though (EMH)

library was modern enough if you ask me.

Kathryn Woodroof said...

I agree with most of what has been said before:

- air conditioning
- computers which are dedicated exclusively to printing during essay deadlines etc.
- café in the iLounge
- more photocopiers with at least one on each floor of the library
- another short loan desk
- a few sofa areas for group discussion/debate/revision sessions

Not asking for much eh?!

Hollie Jones said...

Big time on more laptop plugs! Especially when in sections like 5c there is only one plug socket on the whole wall.

Brigid said...

Group study spaces is something a lot of people raised with me during my campaign, there are relatively few on campus especially at weekends; I reckon having more of them will make the quiet rooms quieter too, another popular issue. The tables with huge screens like they have in Nuffield and the LC are ace, be good to be able to plug laptops into them.

Designate a few areas to be quiet rooms and keep them quiet; students really do need somewhere like this, especially when the pressure is on.

It's worth looking at the demographic of people who use the library; the Learning Centre is full of almost exclusively foreign students, and the library slightly less so. Which begs the question, why, and are they catering for different student needs?

Oh and obviously longer hours, quicker book restocking, and get more of the books we need in there, and nice clean modern toilets. Also is it really fair postgrads get to keep books out for six months at a time?

essay over.