Category Archives: Study spaces

While You’ve Been Away… Changes in the Library Over the Summer

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A warm welcome back to all of our returning students! As usual we haven’t been resting on our laurels during the long summer break, and we’ve made a few changes since June…

Single Sign On. Over the summer we’ve begun work on streamlining access to our electronic resources by moving away from Athens authentication to a single sign on process using the University username & password. The project is ongoing and so you need to be aware that there are:

  • Some resources which have moved from Athens log in to Single sign on
  • Some resources are in progress
  • Some resources are still Athens authenticated.
  • You can keep up to date on developments through our news link here.

Self Collection of Hold Requests. We have started storing hold requests on the shelves in the High Demand section on Level 3 so that users can collect them and issue them without having to ask for them at the main desk. This only applies to our stock – Inter Library Loans will still be stored in the office behind the desk.

It’s very easy to use – books can be found in alphabetical order on the shelves filed under the first three letters of the user’s surname and the last three numbers of their ID. For example, our own Matt Cunningham would be CUN331. Where a user only has two letters in their surname, just use those two letters followed by the last 3 digits of their ID number.

New Decor. All the old workstation desks on Levels 1 & 2 have been replaced with new ones. We’ve added plasma screens displaying booking details outside of every Group Study Room in the Library, and the Help Desk on Level 4 has been removed to expand the study area.

Wifi Upgrade. IT Services completed their upgrade of the Wifi coverage throughout the building, so hopefully you won’t encounter any more dead spots!

Oh yes – and as you can see from the picture above, we had the Red Arrows fly over for the Graduation Ceremony. As the old police recruitment poster used to say – “Dull it isn’t!”

Welcome to the Library

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So, you’ve made it to Loughborough – congratulations! At the University Library we take great pride in how we support all our new users – if you ever have a question about how we can support you, ask one of our friendly staff.

As a new student you are automatically enrolled as a member of the Library. your student ID card is also your Library card. Don’t lose it as you need to swipe in through the barriers to enter the Library and to use our self-service machines to borrow your books.

Getting the most of out of your Library

Academic Librarians will be out in the schools during induction week – look out for the Library session in your timetable. You don’t have to wait for the session to use us though – feel free to pop in when you arrive and have a look round, or just come along to one of the quick library tours & induction sessions we’re running over the first week of term.

We’ve also set up a dedicated web page for new starters full of handy tips about how to use the library and get the best out of us. Check it out here – http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/students/about/welcome/

Get the Know How Library workshops

During the autumn term Library staff will be running workshops offering helpful guidance on a wide variety of academic practices including essay writing, note taking, time management and presentation skills. You can find more information about these workshops on our webpages.

Using the Library

Enquiry Desks

The Library offers an Enquiry Desk Service across all levels of the Library during standard office hours (Monday – Friday 9AM to 5:30PM).  User Services staff will be able to help you with most of your enquiries and if necessary will refer you to a colleague with more specialist knowledge.

The Enquiry Desks are staffed by a smaller team of Library staff until 10pm on weekdays, and throughout opening hours on Saturday and Sunday. The staff will be able to help you with most of your enquiries but may need to refer you to a daytime member of staff for detailed assistance.

Finding Information

For specialised help in finding information in your subject area, each School has its own Academic Librarian to offer support and guidance.

Academic librarians are available to assist all University staff and students to find and use information resources effectively, develop library collections to meet your needs and to be your contact point for any information related enquiry.  They have all developed expertise in the subject areas of their Schools and are very happy to help.

Study Spaces

The Library has a range of different study spaces, from silent and quiet spaces to group and social areas. There are also a number of spaces that you can book online including grpup study rooms, bookable booths on Level 4 and individual study carrels on Levels 1 & 2 . Ask at the Enquiry Desk to be shown how to book these rooms yourself.

IT Facilities

There are 250 PCs (excluding those dedicated to accessing Library Catalogue Plus) available in the Library with the majority of these located on Levels 3 & 4. The Library also has a wireless network throughout the building, enabling users to connect to the University’s network from their laptops.

The Library provides basic A4/A3 monochrome and colour printing/copying facilities. Before being able to print or copy you will need to purchase printer credits. You can pay for this at the main Enquiry Desk on Level 3 of the Library.

PC Clinic

The Student PC Clinic is now situated on Level 3 of the Library and is available to help with any IT queries you may have. It is staffed during standard office hours through until 6PM (Monday – Friday) and is open 12pm-2pm at weekends.

Library Café & Shop

We have a café situated on Level 3 which is one of the most popular on campus, not least of all because of their amazing breakfast cobs – as Library staff will testify! We also have a small shop situated near the entrance which sells a variety of snacks, stationary and basic essentials.

Leisure Reading

Here at the Library we’re championing leisure reading! Why? Well, not only is reading for pleasure a great mood enhancer, it’s also strongly linked to academic achievement. So, if you want to give your grades a boost, why not come and browse our dedicated Leisure Reading Collection? The Collection comprises a broad range of genres including contemporary fiction, graphic novel, biography, memoir, crime, fantasy, horror and science fiction – something to suit all tastes!

… And of course, look out for our favorite feline, Charlie the Cat. Your Loughborough experience isn’t truly complete until you’ve had a selfie with him!

August Bank Holiday & Special Assessment Period

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Just to remind all of our visitors that the Library will be CLOSED along with the rest of the University during the entire Bank Holiday this coming weekend, and that we will not be re-opening until 9am on Wednesday 29th August.

This will coincide with the beginning of the Special Assessment Period, when the Library will be temporarily extending its opening hours to 9am – 8pm on weekdays from Wednesday 29th August to Thursday 6th September. Please note that we remain closed at weekends. From Friday 7th September we return to our usual vacation opening times for the remainder of September.

University Open Days 29th-30th June

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The University will be holding Open Days on Friday 29th June and Saturday 30th June. Visitors, students and staff should be aware that campus, and in particular the Library, will likely be extremely busy on both days.

As usual the Library will be hosting several displays and stands by other support services within the University on both days, and they will be taking up temporary residence later this week on Level 3. As such, certain study areas on this level will be unavailable during this time and will be cordoned off from public use.

Temporary Removal of Workstations on Levels 1 & 2 from 25th June

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On Monday 25th June and Tuesday 26th June work begins on replacing the workstation desks on Levels 1 & 2. This will necessitate the temporary removal of all of the PC workstations from these floors, including the Catalogue and Short Stay PCs.

All of these machines will placed into storage in Group Study Rooms 1A and 2A, which will mean that these rooms will be unavailable for booking while this work is carried out.

Week beginning Monday 2nd July the old desks will be removed from Levels 1 & 2 for removal by University Facilities Management – this may involve some noise and disruption, and the lift may be unavailable to visitors while the desks are being moved.

The new furniture should be delivered during the following week – again, this will involve some noise and disruption. Once this is completed, IT Services will remove the PCs from storage and begin setting them up on the new desks.

Access to the shelving and other facilities on Levels 1 & 2 will remain unaffected, however there will be no PC workstations available to use on either floor while this work is completed. Workstations are still available on Levels 3 & 4, and staff are available to assist with catalogue searching at our Enquiry Desks.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience.

Part of Level 3 & Some Group Study Rooms Unavailable 19th-20th June

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An area of Level 3 near the Seminar Room and Group Study Rooms 3A & 3B will be unavailable to visitors tomorrow, Tuesday 19th, and Wednesday 20th June while the Library is hosting a training event.

We appreciate that term isn’t quite over yet, but Group Study Rooms are still available to book on Levels 1, 2 & 4 if you require one.

Additional Study Space During the Bank Holiday

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As this Bank Holiday weekend is traditionally one of the busiest times of the Academic calendar (not least in the Library!), University Facilities Management are opening up some extra study spaces over the weekend.

These are:

  • Saturday 26th May 8.00am – 6.00pm: All of James France – CC rooms and Exhibition area, all of West Park Teaching Hub
  • Sunday 27th May 8.00am – 6.00pm: All of James France – CC rooms and Exhibition area, all of West Park Teaching Hub
  • Monday 28th May 8.00am – 6.00pm: All of James France – CC rooms and Exhibition area, all of West Park Teaching Hub

These are addition to the D-Rooms in James France and the YY-Rooms in John Cooper.

The Library will still be open 24-7 over the weekend, albeit with a skeleton service on Bank Holiday Monday. Unfortunately the PC Clinic will be closed on Monday.

Noise Alert Text Service

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Today we launch our new Noise Alert Text Service in the Library. If you’re experiencing too much noise disruption in your study area, text the number on one of the posters displayed across Levels 1 & 2 and on all the study tables in the Silent Study Area, and a member of staff will be sent to investigate ASAP.

When sending an alert, please give us your floor location and either study desk number or approximate seating location.

Please note this service is to alert us about noise disruption – if you have any other enquiries, please visit one of our Enquiry Desks.

24-7 Opening and Extra Library Support during Exam Period

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Charlie says… it’s that time again! Yes, the exam season is looming, and as usual, the Library will be doing everything we can to help everyone through – plus a little extra!

  • 24-7 Opening. The Library will be open non-stop from 8.30am on Monday 21st May and will remain so until 2am on Wednesday 20th June. This is an increase of three extra 24-7 days from last year!
  • Extra Study Space in Seminar Room 1. Additional study tables will be placed inside our largest seminar room on Level 3 and this will be open for students to use from 21st May through until Friday 8th June. No need to book, just go and grab a seat!
  • Library On Tour – James France. Library staff will be available in the James France Study Room D002 from 10am-3pm from Tuesday 29th May to Friday 8th June to provide assistance for users requiring additional staffed study space.
  • Desk Clearing. Busy library means fewer spaces, and sometimes people aren’t always considerate about how much space they take up! As usual we’ll be patrolling the floors and removing any items left unattended for more than 30 minutes to free up space.
  • Noise Alert Text Service. From Monday 21st May we will be launching a new noise alert system where people can text a mobile number to let us know if anyone is being noisy or disruptive. Further details to follow soon!
  • Library Café Later Opening. The Library Café will be extending its regular opening hours from 8.30am to 10pm for three weeks beginning Monday 21st May – so you’ve got lots more time to grab a break (just make sure you’re back in 30 minutes!)

Keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook feeds for further service updates and announcements, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you need any kind of assistance or support – we’re here to help.

Best of luck!