Introducing your new Library Study Space Assistants… and other important updates for the summer term 

We hope you found some time to relax over the Easter vacation. 

We’re looking forward to continuing to support all students this summer term, whether you’re on campus or studying remotely. Remember our expert teams, including Academic Liaison LibrariansStudy Advice and Maths Support are all available to provide advice and support online. 

If you’re studying on campus this term, we’ve summarised some important developments for you to be aware of when visiting our building.  

New Library Study Space Assistants 

We’ve recruited a team of 10 new Study Space Assistants to help keep you and our colleagues safe this summer term. They’ll be available to help you find your pre-booked seat, provide advice about alternative study space at busy times, and ensure you’re aware of the safety measures currently in place (see below). You’ll notice them in Study@URS too. 

Keeping our Library safe for everyone – what you need to know

Remember hands, face, space to keep all Library members and staff safe

While the positive progress of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown is welcome news, it’s vital that we do not become complacent and risk a worsening of the pandemic in the UK. We all have a role to play to take the necessary precautions to keep those around us as safe as possible.

In the Library, as well as our usual ‘Code of Conduct’, you must: 

  • wear a face covering at all times, even when sitting at a desk and studying alone, unless you are exempt;  
  • keep a 2 metre distance from others (this includes those from your own household when using the Library, to help us enforce these rules with minimum intervention);  
  • take the stairs rather than the lift, where possible (if you need to use the lift, you must use it alone); 
  • sit in your allocated seat only; 
  • vacate your pre-booked seat promptly at the end of the period for which it has been booked; 
  • follow all one-way systems;  

and 

  • bring your Campus Card and keep it on your desk so it is visible to staff, this will help them check you are sat in your booked seat without interrupting you 

We would like to thank all of you who have been continuing to follow these rules to help protect us all. 

If, however, a member of staff or one of our Study Space Assistants notices that you are not following these rules, they will let you know and you will be asked for your details. If this is the first time you have been spoken to, we will record your details but no further action will be taken – we understand that accidental lapses happen from time to time.  You will be given a short letter to explain why your details have been taken. 

If you breach the rules a second time during the current academic year, we will issue a formal warning in accordance with our Student Disciplinary Procedures. If your details are taken for a third time, you will be issued with a fine of up to £200 (again, in line with our Student Disciplinary Procedures). For further incidents, a higher fine or other penalty (such as a ban from the Library) may be imposed. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. We wish you every success for the summer term ahead.  

Your Library Team

Easter opening hours at your Library

With the Easter vacation approaching, make sure you know our upcoming opening hours and borrowing policies for the break!

Easter chicks

The Library building will be closed for the University Easter Closure from Thursday 1 April to Tuesday 6 April.

Between Monday 29 March and Wednesday 31 March the Library Building will be open from 08:30-19:00.

From Wednesday 7 April until Friday 16 April, the Library will be open 08:30 – 19:00 Monday to Thursday and 08:30-17:00 Friday to Sunday.

Remember that there will be no Closed Access or Store collections on Bank Holidays. The last Closed Access collection before Easter will be Wednesday 31st March.

Outside the University Easter closure, the PC Labs in the Palmer and Agriculture buildings are also open 24/7. They are accessible with your Campus Card and you do not need to book them.

Please see our opening hours web page for more information. Opening hours for the Summer Term are not yet confirmed – we will post them as soon as possible.

Christine Milne, Library User Services

Safer studying in the Library – remember to wear a face covering at all times

The Library continues to remain open for bookable study space and for Click & Collect for those of you here on campus.

Following the announcement of the national lockdown earlier this month, and the risk of increased transmissibility by the new strain of COVID-19, we’ve been reviewing current health and safety control measures.

We’ve updated our face covering guidance which includes a change about how they should be used in the Library. You’re now expected to wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) throughout the duration of your visit, even when sat at your assigned desk.

Remember hands, face, space to keep all Library members and staff safe

This is the only change we’ve made to our current safety measures in the Library so the rest of our previously published guidance remains the same.

The Library is designated as a ‘common area’ along with other spaces on campus as there is a relatively high number of different people using the space each day.

During the Autumn Term and the start of this year some people, understandably, were forgetting to replace their face covering when moving around the building.  Due to this, and as the current transmissibility of the virus is heightened, this additional safety measure will help minimise the risk for all Library users and staff.

Please comply with the new guidance and the existing measures to help us keep you and our staff safe so that we can continue to provide effective library services through this time.  Our staff have been working throughout the pandemic to provide a vital service to support you. Please show them the respect they deserve and comply with their instructions – they are there for your safety.

Breaches of our guidelines are being taken very seriously, and may result in fines and/or expulsion from Halls and/or the University, in accordance with our University disciplinary procedures

We will, of course, keep our policy under review and adjust it as necessary in the coming weeks and months, in line with the wider situation.

See our Current Library Services guide and the Library website for further information about all the services available to you on campus and online.

Your Library team

Library open for study space and Click & Collect

Open sign in rainbow colours

The Library is open – stay safe!

During the new national lockdown the Library is open every day for bookable study space and to collect print materials via our Click & Collect service.

The Library will be open for study space; Monday – Thursday, 08:30 – 19:00 and Friday – Sunday, 08:30 – 17:00

Click & Collect is open; Monday – Thursday, 10:00 – 19:00 and Friday – Sunday, 10:00 – 17:00.

For more information about how the library is operating during the pandemic, please look at our Current Library Services guide

 

Natalie Guest, Document Delivery Co-ordinator / Academic Liaison Librarian

Study space bookings – changes for 2021

Through feedback from Library users and observation we have noticed that it’s sometimes unclear for users where they should sit and that spaces are booked but not occupied. So in order to improve your experience when visiting the Library to study and ensure that we can continue to operate in a Covid safe way we’re making some changes to our study space booking system and allocating a numbered space to each booking and sending you a reminder the day before. During the Autumn term we’d already started checking your bookings on our system when you arrive at the Welcome Desk to keep study areas from becoming over-populated. It’s important that we have plenty of space for you to effectively social distance in the building, and to guarantee only people who have a genuine booking gain entry.

CLose up picture of a desk showing a label with number

Sit at the desk labelled with the number and area in your booking confirmation email

From 4 January 2021 all study spaces in the Library will have a number. When you book a Study space you’ll be allocated a specific desk to sit at – yours for the duration of your booking. The desk number and area will be on the booking confirmation email you receive. Desk areas are indicated by signage in the building and desk numbers by a label on each space.

You’ll receive a reminder email the day before your booking, if you don’t need the space any more the email will contain details on how to cancel it to make it available for another user. The same option is available in the original booking confirmation email too.

To book and use a study space please follow these steps

  • Book your space online – please only book for yourself, all our study spaces are for individual study as per government guidance.
  • Bring your Campus Card and booking confirmation email to the Library, and please wear a face covering unless exempt
  • Check your study space area and seat number – ask us if you are unsure where it is
  • Sanitise your space with the supplies provided
  • Once seated you can remove your face covering, but please use it whenever you’re moving around inside the building
  • Please vacate your space on time – someone else will be arriving to use it after you

Not received your confirmation email? Don’t book again! Please contact us and we can check your booking is there and re-send the confirmation email. If the space you booked is unavailable, please ask us for help either in person at the Welcome Desk on the Ground Floor or call us on 0118 378 8770.

We want the Library to continue to be a welcoming and safe space for you to study – please continue to help us by following our study space etiquette guidance. We know space is limited but with your help all Library members can have a fair chance to use our facilities.

Sue Egleton, Associate Director (Systems and User Services)

Using the Library over the Christmas holidays

Paper angel on top of book tree in the Library foyer

Be like our book angel and stay on top of your library books this Christmas!

Whether you’re heading home soon or staying on campus over the vacation, this summary of available Library services can help you plan ahead. We wish you happy holidays and effective studying – stay safe everyone!

Library opening

Term ends on Friday 11 December, so after this date the Library will be operating reduced opening hours. This will affect the times that you are able to book study space, Click & Collect loans, book IT Service Desk appointments and use the Library Cafe.

From Saturday 12 December till Monday 21 December, the Library will be open from 08:30 to early evening on weekdays only. There are no weekend services available.

Along with the rest of the campus, the Library closes completely on Tuesday 22 December until Sunday 3 January for the University Christmas closure.

From Monday 4 January till Friday 8 January, we resume vacation-hours opening, and from Saturday 9 January we’ll be open for term-time hours again.

Borrow until January 2021

To help borrowers heading home early due to UK government guidance, we’re lending everything to all Library members until Tuesday 12 January. Any items borrowed or renewed from Monday 30 November will issue until 12 January. These vacation loans include standard, 7-day, overnight loans and journals.

Store and Closed Access requests

If you need materials from the off-site Store or from our Closed Access shelves, be aware of the final dates of collection and make sure you place your request in time.

  • Store collections finish for Christmas on Thursday 17 December – get your request in before 08:30 on this day.
  • Closed Access collections will finish for Christmas on Friday 18 December – get your request in before 13:45.

We will next collect from Closed Access on 4 January and from Store on 7 January (these dates might be subject to change if there is a shortage of available staff). For more information, see Requesting items from Store and Closed Access.

Online help

All our expert staff are available online to help and advise you throughout the vacation (except during the Christmas closure period).

If you have a general enquiry, email library@reading.ac.uk or phone 0118 378 8770.

More info

Check our Current Library Services guide for up-to-date information, especially if there are changes to current government guidelines.

Library User Services

Library open daily but not overnight during lockdown

Book ahead to visit the Library  daytime or evenings in lockdown, but not overnight.

Due to the new lockdown period in England, 5 November to 2 December 2020, the University Library opening hours will be changing. We will close overnight and reopen again at 08:30 each morning, except Saturdays when we’ll close at 21:00 as usual.

Starting from 00:01 Thursday 5 November our revised opening hours will be:

  • Sunday to Friday  08:30 – 00:00
  • Saturdays            08:30 – 21:00

Any study space bookings already scheduled for nights affected will be cancelled – we apologise for the inconvenience.

However, all our services and facilities remain operating as normal during our opening hours so you can still use the Click & Collect service, book study spaces, and book an IT Service Desk appointment. All our online services remain unchanged. See our Current Library Services guide for further information.

Sue Egleton, Associate Director (Systems and User Services)

COVID-19: 5 tips for studying @ home

Reading glasses and pens rest on an open bookStudying at home requires self-discipline, organisation and effective time management strategies. Follow our Study Advice top 5 tips to make the most of your study time at home.

Tip #1: Set up your home office

Make sure you have somewhere dedicated to studying. Set up your desk and keep your device, books, paper and stationery to hand. Try to keep the space separate from where you relax, even if it is just a corner in your bedroom. Leave it tidy, so it is more inviting to return to the next day.

Tip #2: Create a study timetable

It’s important to allocate time to study (and time to relax and do exercise). Think about when in the day you’re more effective (for most this is the morning). You might want to consider, for instance, taking a couple of hours off every afternoon to take some exercise and return to your studies in the early evening. Make sure you add in regular breaks and rewards along the way. For more on creating a timetable, watch this short video.

Tip #3: Set yourself weekly goals

It’s important to know what you hope to achieve each week – especially if you are working on a project like a dissertation or revising for exams. Goals help to ensure we stay on track but also help to motivate us to keep going and give us that sense of achievement. Work backwards from your deadlines to determine where you want to be at the end of each week. If you have a shorter deadline (like an assignment to write in a week), instead set yourself some daily goals. This video will help you do this.

Tip #4: Work with others

During these times, it’s important to continue to connect with others. Keep in touch with peers and motivate each other. Arrange daily catch-ups, virtual coffee chats or perhaps some revision groups, where you can test each other’s understanding. Do share your study goals too, as you are more likely to strive to meet them once you’ve declared them.

Tip #5: Use the advice and support available

It might feel that you’re on your own, but all the central services are still running.

Make the most of the support and expertise on offer and ensure you get the grades you deserve.

Dr Sonia Hood, FHEA
Study Advice Manager, Study Advice & Maths Support

COVID-19 update: Library services move fully online

Silvery-gold clad University of Reading Library buildings in distance, surrounded by green trees, green grass in foregroundIn line with the University’s move to online teaching, the University Library moved services fully online with effect from Monday 23 March 2020.  Please be assured that we will continue to provide you with our services.  We will ensure that all online resources and additional online help are available to you during the current, unprecedented public health situation.

Using Library online services

A significant proportion of our resources are already available online. There will be no change to this service and everything that you previously used will continue to be available. A simple way to find existing and new resources in your subject is to check our online subject guides: the new COVID-19 tab lists extra resources provided to UoR during the lockdown period.

Online resources

Undergraduate and post-graduate taught course students: you can still access UoR online reading lists directly and via Blackboard. Many of the items on your reading lists are accessible online, with some lists fully available online.

For your research, you can still access e-resources through the Library website, to find our extensive collection of e-books, e-journals and databases. The following tools will help you:

Online Library help and assistance

All Library staff are still available to help and assist with your studies and research.

Library materials currently on loan

Whilst the Library building remains closed the printed book collection will not be available.  If you currently have books on loan that are due back do not worry!  We will automatically renew them for you so that you do not get fined.  And if you incur any fines during this period of online working you will not be charged.  Books that you currently have on loan will not be recalled and you will not be expected to return them whilst the building is closed.  If you want to place a reservation (hold) on a book you can continue to do so and we will seek to satisfy your request.  For loan and general enquiries, please email library@reading.ac.uk

Interlibrary loans

You can still request Inter-Llibrary Loans in the usual manner, completing the online request form.  If you currently have Inter-Library Loans (books) from another library do not worry, we will arrange for the return date to be extended for you.  For Inter-Library Loan enquiries, please email ill@reading.ac.uk.

Other enquiries

If you have any other enquiries or require any additional support, please email library@reading.ac.uk.

Look out for further Library service updates on the Library websiteUniversity Library News blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Stuart Hunt, Director

Head upstairs for more Library study space

Enjoy the full range of study spaces the Library has to offer. Following a multi-million pound refurbishment we now provide around 1,500 study spaces, 200 more than we had before. Be sure to investigate all five floors and three types of study space to find what suits you best. Our contemporary, new environment is very popular so do check out the upper floors for places others may not have reached yet!

Study your way in the Library

See our study space video or plans of each floor and you will find that study space has been arranged into three different types:

Group study – where talking is required
To discuss your work in groups, or if you concentrate best with background noise, head to the front of the 4th or 2nd Floors, the back of the Ground Floor, or the 1st Floor PC area for a choice of individual rooms, group pods, diner-like seating or long tables. There are eight bookable group study rooms on the 1st Floor.

Individual, quiet study
To work quietly by yourself, use an individual desk by the windows around the books on the 4th, 3rd and 2nd Floors, or in Short Loan on the Ground Floor.

Silent study
To work in silence choose from individual comfy chairs or a desk in one of our enclosed study rooms on the 5th Floor.

Study space across campus

Whilst the Library houses the largest single collection of study spaces on campus, at busy times you may wish to use other study areas. The Study Space Across Campus Essentials page includes both RUSU Studies, the ‘Free Room Finder’ showing which teaching rooms students can use, and the Study Space Map listing other study areas.

Rachel Redrup
Academic Liaison Librarian

Library open following major refurbishment

The University Library is now open following its major refurbishment. Over £40 million has been invested into improving key features and facilities, including:

  • increased study space, including space to meet growing demand for group study.
  • new automated service to make borrowing and returning books quicker and easier (freeing up librarians’ time for helping students).
  • print hubs on Ground Floor and floors 1-4.
  • water fountains on floors 1-4.
  • expanded Library café, including new outdoor dining area.
  • new larger cycle sheds.
  • improved impact on the environment, with energy usage lowered by 40% and carbon emissions cut by 30%.
Girl using automatic book borrowing machine

Borrow at contactless Self-Service Points; return at the new book sorter machine.

Minor finishing works will continue to take place as and when needed over the coming weeks. Any major work will take place outside typical user hours.

Study space on campus

The Library now houses the largest collection of study spaces on campus. There are still plenty of other places on campus to go for studying – details of these can be found on the Study Space Across Campus Essentials page.

Those returning to campus may note that the URS Building is being used for teaching this term and is no longer used as Library study space.

Where to get help

Study Advice and Maths Support Desk

There are plenty of places within the Library you can get help.

  • For general enquiries, including help with your Library account or finding your way around, please use the Welcome Desk (Ground Floor).
  • For expert advice on a range of study skills and resources in your subject area, please use the Study Advice and Maths Support Desk (Ground Floor).
  • For IT enquiries, please visit the IT Service Desk (1st Floor).

Maps of each floor are also available – please take a look to see exactly where specific features are located within the building

 

No access to 1st Floor 10-19 August

The 1st Floor of the Library will be closed during the week of 10 to 19 August so that the space can be used for Clearing.

With Clearing itself taking place on 15 and 16 August 2019 in the 1st Floor of the Library, it will be closed from 10 to 19 August to allow for setup and strike down of the equipment necessary for Clearing.

Study space will still be available on the ground, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Floors throughout this time, including a few PC spaces on the 4th Floor. There are also a variety of alternative study spaces across campus, including 24-hour PC labs in Agriculture GL20, Meteorology GL68 and Palmer G.09.

Katie Winter, Academic Liaison Support Librarian
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