We’re getting ready to run Library services and facilities from two buildings from 18 April: the URS Building (no 33 on the Whiteknights campus map) – further away from construction noise – and the Library Building (no 2 ). We are preparing URS signage and our webpages will show where everything is from this date but here’s a preview!

Services moving to URS Building

URS Study space and IT facilities

We will move modern study furniture (with power sockets) currently on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors of the Library Building into the the URS Building 2nd and Ground Floors, mainly over the Easter vacation. Some of the 16 large 2nd Floor rooms will be designated as group study space, some quiet study and some silent study space. The silent study rooms will contain some more traditional desks and some individual workbays.

The URS Ground Floor will mostly consist of 145 fixed PCs, with printing facilities nearby.

URS Course Collection and Self-Service Points

Our Course Collection of in-demand texts on reading lists will move to the URS Ground Floor, along with study space and Self-Service Points to borrow and return Course Collection items. You may also save yourself a short walk and return Library Building items here too.

URS Services

• CaféLibro will transfer to the 2nd Floor of the URS Building.
• On the URS Ground Floor, you will be able to get help from:
  • the Library Information Desk;
  • Study Advice;
  • Maths Support;
  • IT help desk.

URS Building Hours

The URS Building will adopt the 24 hour opening during term (except closing 21:00 Saturday to 08:30 Sunday) as is currently the case in the Library.

URS Security

For security reasons, everyone will enter URS by the one main entrance, closest to Whiteknights House, by the pond. We will adopt the same security that we employ now for the Library and transfer this to the URS building.

Library Building

You will be able to borrow all printed material (other than Course Collection items in URS) from the University Library, open 09:00-22:00 in term.There will be no study desks in the Library Building so you will need to take them either to the URS Building or find alternative study space on campus (see top right of Library Refurbishment Project page).

We recognise this is less convenient than having printed books in the same building as study space but hope that the Library hours we have been able to achieve will serve the majority of students – our usage statistics show that almost all borrowing activity occurs before 22:00.

Library staff will be on duty to help you during core hours.

Construction work will continue during weekdays in the Library Building whilst we strive to complete the project as soon as possible, so you may experience considerable noise whilst using this building.

Further details

For further information, see the Library Refurbishment Project page at www.reading.ac.uk/library/refurb.

If you have a disability and have any concerns about using either the Library or URS Building facilities, please contact Matthew Holtby, Library Disability Co-ordinator.

If you have any other queries, please email library@reading.ac.uk.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
University Library Director and Associate Directors