Important update: Study space in URS Building

Students outside the URS Building

The University of Reading’s capital investment programme, 2026: TRANSFORM, is well under way to improve further our campus facilities. The University Library is undergoing a major transformation – we are investing over £40 million into making it a modern and comfortable place to study, with the very best facilities and learning resources. The project is expected to be completed in 2019.

Study space relocation to the URS Building

In April 2017, much of the study furniture from the Library was relocated to the URS Building. Several key services from the Library Building have also been relocated to the URS Building – the Library Information Desk, Study Advice and Maths Support, the Course Collection, the IT Service Desk and Café Libro. The Library Building remains open for borrowing books.

By moving study space and other services to URS, we can provide a quieter environment for study, enquiries and support. It also means less disruption through noise or dust from the building project, with URS still being close enough to borrow and use Library materials.

It is expected that these arrangements will be in place until August 2018, when study space and other facilities are currently planned to move back into the Library.

What’s changing?

Closed pink double doors to large lecture theatreThe URS lecture theatres have been out of use since the relocation to allow us to accommodate the maximum permitted number of study spaces in this building (there’s a restriction on the total number of people allowed in the building at any one time for fire safety). The University has recently taken the decision to re-open the URS large lecture theatre for teaching in the 2017/18 academic year.

Due to the fire safety restrictions in place, this will mean that the number of term-time study spaces available in the URS building will be reduced from around 800 to around 600. This will be disappointing news for some, as the total number of study spaces available to students during term-time will necessarily be reduced. However, please be assured that the University explored every possible alternative option before reaching this decision, but feel it is important that it offers students the best available teaching space for their classes.

We will work to re-instate the study spaces during the Christmas and Easter vacations, and in the summer term for the exam period.

Café Libro will remain open as usual.

Naturally, we will closely monitor the usage of the URS study spaces and the alternative study spaces provided across our campuses (see below for more information) to ensure all spaces are accessible, available and well-used. Feedback from students on these spaces is very much welcome as it will help us to plan study space availability in the future.

Alternative study spaces

Taking into account the reduction of study spaces in the URS Building, there are still over 1,500 study spaces available across the Whiteknights and London Road campuses.

We have provided some helpful resources to make it easier to find a suitable space to study. These include;

All of these resources can easily be found through the Library Refurbishment Project page. Do bookmark this page on your laptop or mobile to find it easily later.

We are also working with RUSU to create a new study space map which we will share with you as soon as it is ready.

Do not forget too that rooms located in teaching buildings will be subject to departmental use – and as always, please treat all spaces with respect.

Library project; progress to date

 We have made good progress since work started last summer. In summary;

  • all floors have been prepared for works to be carried out – you will notice that several areas have been sectioned off for work, especially on the Ground and 1st Floors;
  • work to improve the exterior of the Library is well under way and internal weatherproofing is largely complete;
  • work is underway for the creation of a brand new café; and
  • we are nearing the end of the demolition of a staircase on the south side of the building – a major phase of work that makes room for new, bigger lifts and a replacement staircase.

We are, of course, taking measures to reduce the risk of noise wherever possible, but please do remember that this is a live construction project – noise will be unavoidable from time to time. As a way of reducing disruption throughout the day, noisy work will cease after 10:00 during term time.

Stay up-to-date

The latest project news is shared through the Library blog – keep checking for updates. Major news will also be shared through the Me@Reading student portal and more.

We also share regular updates through our social media channels – we’re on:

Facebook: /theuniversityofreading and /universityofreadinglibrary

Twitter: @UniofReading, @UniRdg_Student and @UniRdg_Library

Instagram: uniofreading and unirdg_library

Please contact library@reading.ac.uk in the first instance if you have any queries.

Full details of the refurbishment, including FAQ, project summary, latest news and study space links, are available on our dedicated Library Refurbishment Project website.

University of Reading Communications Team

Using Library books around refurb work

Here’s an update on accessing Library resources within the Library Building, even though many other areas are closed for Library Refurbishment Project construction work.

Using Library resources

Tall man holds small book, small lady holds large book outside UoR Library

Large size arts & hums books have moved up to our 4th Floor; normal sized items down to the 2nd Floor.

The 2nd and 4th Floors of the Library are open, containing all your books. This includes arts and humanities material, relocated from the now-closed 3rd Floor: normal size material went to the 2nd Floor; larger size and Teaching Practice Collection items to the 4th Floor. If you need any help finding anything, just ask Library staff at 2nd or 4th Floor Information Desks.

A few unique print journals are retained on the 4th Floor, but as most print journals are unavailable until after refurbishment, we encourage you to use our online journals or request an inter-library loan.

Man uses Library Self-Service Point machines of right, computers on left.Although much of the Ground Floor is now out-of bounds, we created a small area at the bottom of the main stairs for you to borrow, return or renew your loans at Self-Service Points or use PCs and catalogues. Just ask at the Help Point by the entrance if you need assistance. Ground Floor toilets are also still available.

Library construction work

White cloth over doors to 3rd Floor from stairsYou may have heard construction work in progress from areas closed-off for your safety (Ground Floor, 1st, 3rd and 5th Floors). Our contractors are demolishing internal walls in advance of refurbishing our 1st and Ground Floors; removing staircase 2 before installing new accessible lifts; and preparing to install new heating, ventilation and toilets on our 3rd Floor; besides installing new windows. Find out more about our plans on our Library Refurbishment Project webpage or visit our URS Building display (2nd Floor landing by Café Libro) for images of future development and previously refurbished floors, which will be reinstated.

URS Building facilities

Lego construction figures arranged around book and large single black Lego brick

Remember! Library Building = books + builders; URS (Lego) Building = study space + services.

Remember to visit the URS Building for Library services and study space, next door at the other end of the orange brick road, further away from potential construction noise. This is also where you will find Cafe Libro, Course Collection material and can collect ‘holds’.

Rachel Redrup, Library Marketing Co-ordinator

Arts and hums books move floors for refurb

books being packed into cratesIn advance of refurbishing the Library Building’s 3rd Floor, we’ve moved arts and humanities print books to the 2nd and 4th Floors. This is part of our strategy to always give you access to print books in the Library throughout the Refurbishment Project, although they will move location from time to time as work is carried out on different floors, and follows our making space for books by moving print journals off-site.

Where are arts and humanities books?

Art and humanities books previously shelved on the 3rd Floor include those with Call Numbers in the 100s (philosophy, psychology), 200s (religion), 400s (languages), 700s (arts), 800s (literature), music CDs and the Teaching Practice Collection.

Moved temporarily down to the 2nd Floor are:

  • 100s, 200s, 400s, 700s, 800s normal size items (Call Numbers with no prefix before number)

Moved temporarily up to the 4th Floor are:

  • Language dictionaries and 3rd Floor Reference books.
  • 100s, 200s, 400s, 700s, 800s larger size items (Call Numbers beginning ‘folio’ or ‘middle folio’).
  • Teaching Practice Collection, including kits.
  • Music CDs.

book shelves in the second floor reading roomThe catalogue is updated and revised floor plans are in place. If you have any difficulty locating anything, please ask us for help at the 2nd or 4th Floor Information Desks.

More information

Find more about the Library’s major £40 million refurbishment on the Library Refurbishment Project webpage (see FAQ 6 on book moves) or email us at library@reading.ac.uk.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator

Out-of-hours Library chat this summer

The summer vacation is finally here! From Saturday 10 June until Friday 15 September, the Library Building and URS Building will be operating summer vacation opening hours. Wherever you are this summer, there are still a number of Library services and resources available.

Out-of-hours virtual enquiry service

During staffed service hours, you can contact UoR Library staff to help with your enquiries. But what about when the Library and URS Buildings are closed (evenings and weekends over the summer vacation)? During these times, you can chat online via the blue ‘Virtual Enquiry Service’ box on the Library webpage.

This service is staffed by professional librarians working remotely to answer your queries from our website and other information we’ve supplied.  You can keep an email transcript of the chat. If they can’t resolve a particular issue they’ll refer you back to us during staffed hours.

Going away this summer?

If you are travelling further afield this summer, there is still a wealth of information available right at your fingertips. Check out our tips for searching and accessing a wide variety of e-resources from off-campus.

Don’t forget, summer vacation loans also give undergraduate and taught postgraduate students the opportunity to borrow standard loan item all summer! You may even be able to borrow from a university library nearer to you by registering with the SCONUL Access Scheme.

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Library systems upgrades: 3-4 and 17-18 July

Sam Tyler grins whilst holding travel mug up to the camera

Systems Manager, Sam Tyler, will be celebrating with fizzy pop in his branded Library travel mug once Library systems are all successfully updated in July.

This summer the Library is upgrading its Library Management System in order to gain a more robust system and maintain its security. However, please be aware that there may be some disruption to Library services whilst we are setting this up on Monday 3 to Tuesday 4 July and Monday 17 to Tuesday 18 July 2017.

If you plan to use the Library on these days, either in person or online, please check our University Library News blog nearer the time to see how the system upgrade could affect you. The Library will remain open throughout, as will most of our systems’ functionality.

We hope that you have a great summer and are looking forward to a new upgrades as much as we are!

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
Sam Tyler, Library Systems Manager

Summer vacation loans are landing!

AeroplanesFrom Thursday 1 June to Tuesday 5 September the standard loan period for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students is extended until Tuesday 26 September or until the end of your course, whichever is earlier. Standard loan periods for other Library borrowers remain unchanged.

All other loan periods and fines for late return remain the same! So please take care when borrowing 7-day loans, Course Collection items and journals. Make sure you check your University account regularly for due dates.

Remember

  • Standard loans – yours all summer if you are an undergraduate or Masters student!
  • 7-day loans – remain the same so keep renewing! If an item cannot be renewed or is recalled, be prepared to post it back to us.
  • Course Collection items and journals – remain the same so keep checking your account!
  • Fines – pay online via the Campus Card Portal or call us.

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Leavers! Settle up before you go

It will soon be time to close one account… and maybe open another?

Settle up before you go!

If you are graduating this summer then please don’t forget to return your loans and clear your account before you go. If you have any outstanding fines or bills you can pay online via the Campus Card Portal or at the Ground Floor Information Desk now situated in the URS Building.

Before you leave don’t forget to return:

  • Standard loan, 7-day loan and journal items to the Library Building
  • Course Collection items to the URS Building

Money left on your card?

Save the pennies and avoid having any leftover money on your Campus Card at the end of your course. When you top-up your card via the Campus Card Portal there is now no minimum amount you have to spend. This means you can top-up exactly what you need to see you through to the end of term!

Membership after you graduate

If you are interested in borrowing from the University Library after you graduate, annual Library membership is half-price at £45! Alternatively, if you are beginning a new course at UoR next session you can apply for membership over the summer for a reduced charge of £20. Registrations for membership can be made at the Ground Floor Information Desk in the URS Building.

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Out-of-hours virtual enquiry service

It’s fine to contact UoR Library staff during staffed service hours, but what can you do out-of-staffed-hours overnight, or when the Library Building is closed (such as during the University Easter Closure 12-17 April)? From today, you chat online via the blue ‘Virtual Enquiry Service’ box appearing on the Library webpage at these times!

This service is staffed by professional librarians working remotely to answer your queries from our website and other information we’ve supplied.  You can keep an email transcript of the chat. If they can’t resolve a particular issue they’ll refer you back to us during staffed hours.

UoR Library has subscribed to this service in the third tranche of UK higher education libraries to join under a SCONUL agreement with OCLC.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
Sue Egleton, Associate Director (Systems & User Services)

Restricted Library/URS entry for exam-time

Rows of small tables and chairs set out for examsFrom Monday 3 April until Friday 9 June, overnight and all weekend Library space is reserved for University Campus and Library Card holders only. This is to prevent disruption to our own revising students from non-University members, right until their last exam is over.

Restrictions apply to both our buildings:

  • Library Building (Monday to Sunday 17:00 – 22:00)
  • URS Building (Monday to Thursday, 17:00 – 08:00; Friday 17:00 – Monday 08:00)

We operate a ‘no card, no access policy’ and reserve the right to refuse access to anyone, including University members, who cannot identify themselves adequately.

How card-holders get in

University of Reading Campus Card-holders and Library Card-holders are welcome at all times. However, during restricted times, when other doors are locked, please enter by the right-hand doors of both the Library and URS Buildings.

  • University members gain automatic entry by placing their Campus Card on the ‘proximity reader’ beside the right-hand door.
  • Library Card holders must show their card to staff to gain entry. Please knock for attention if staff are not right beside the door.

Restrictions for visitors

3 April – 9 June 2017  Members of the public without cards are only admitted weekday daytimes:

  • Library Building (Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00)
  • URS Building (Monday to Friday 08:00 – 17:00)

Regrettably, they may not use study spaces here as these are required by our own students revising for exams. Visitors are encouraged to look to their own school, college or public library for study space.

As always, our policy is that children in the Library must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

We apologise to visitors unable to use Café Libro during restricted periods. Please try another outlet on campus or at Christchurch Green.

UoR campus card faulty?

Should your University Campus Card fail to open our doors with the card reader, please ask Campus Card Services to fix the fault via their Campus Card non-residential door access report form or email cardfinance@reading.ac.uk.

Alternative study space during Library refurb

UoR students can also use additional study space listed on the Library Refurbishment Project page.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
Sue Egleton, Associate Director (Systems & Services)

Loan periods same over Easter vacation – keep renewing!

Basket of eggsRevising this Easter vacation? It’s not all bad! The Library makes getting those crucial textbooks even easier for you. It will be ‘business as usual’ with all loan periods remaining the same in vacation as all term.

So keep checking your account and renewing your loans unless or until someone else recalls them. If your loans are recalled, we’ll email you! You can return items at the Library or you can even post them back to us.

This also means you can still place holds on books on loan in vacation. The threat of fines on non-returned books should help Library users return them for you!

Extra time for closure days!

We know the short Easter break also spans public holidays and the Easter University Closure (Wednesday 12 April to Monday 17 April – see our Opening hours page for more information), so we’ve made some special allowances.

Any journals or 7-day loan items borrowed from Wednesday 5 April until the Easter University Closure will be due back on Tuesday 18 April. Any Course Collection items borrowed after 16:00 on Tuesday 11 April will be due back by 10:00 on Tuesday 18 April.

Where do I return items after vacation?

Remember! When you return for the beginning of Summer term (Tuesday 18 April) many Library services will have moved to the URS Building.

From Tuesday 18 April you should return:

  • Course Collection items to the URS Building
  • Standard loan, 7-day loan and journal items to the Library Building

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Loan periods same over vacation – keep renewing!

Pine tree covered in snowWith textbooks in increasingly high demand even after the end of term, we’ve made sure our policy ensures fair access to all. It will be ‘business as usual’ with all loan periods remaining the same in vacation as all term. This means that items will not be issued to cover the whole Christmas vacation.

So just keep renewing your loans unless or until someone else recalls them. If the book needs to come back, we’ll email you … so keep checking your University account! You can even return loans by post if you prefer. If your account is blocked please contact the Library and we will discuss the situation with you.

This means you can place holds on books on loan in vacations. The threat of fines on non-returned books should help Library users return them for you!

What about Christmas holidays and Uni Closure?

We know the short Christmas break also spans public holidays and the Christmas University Closure (Friday 23 December to Monday 2 January – see our Opening hours page for more information), so we’ve made special allowances. Any journals, 7-day loans or Course Collection items borrowed from Friday 16 December until the Christmas University Closure will be due back on Tuesday 3 January (by 10:00 for Course Collection items). No items will be due back between Friday 23 December and Monday 2 January.

Happy holidays!

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Contractor appointed for Library refurbishment

Artists impression og refurbished library

The University has appointed the award-winning firm, ISG Fit Out Ltd. as the contractor for the Library refurbishment. Our Procurement and Estates & Facilities teams collaborated to select ISG Fit Out as the best contractor for this project, based on their competitive costing, quality assurance and technical suitability. We will now be working with ISG Fit Out to share detailed outlines of the redevelopment, including early works taking place this summer.

This major redevelopment continues the popular refurbishments of the upper Library floors carried out in 2013–2014, and will deliver further benefits and improvements for you. On the Ground and First floors, study space will be increased, security will be improved, an improved service for borrowing and returning books will be put into place and the café space will be extended. Throughout the building, new lifts will be installed to provide better disabled access, additional toilets will be added and energy services (including heating and ventilation) will be optimised.

The Library will remain open and fully operational throughout the redevelopment.

Important information about the project, such as the provision of alternative study space and notice of disruptive works will be shared with you all at the earliest possible time.  See an indicative overview of the project and further details of the redevelopment at www.reading.ac.uk/library/refurb. Please remember to check back regularly for new project updates here or on the University Library News blog where day-to-day advice will be given to Library users throughout the project.

Rachel Redrup, Library Marketing Co-ordinator
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