Library refurbishment: new glass lifts

Person holding out arms to display new glass lift behind

RUSU Disabled Students’ Officer, Blythe Varney was the first student to try out a glass lift. She loves these new bigger lifts because they can take bigger wheelchairs, have ‘a nice smooth ride and they’re a lot of fun to use’.

Library refurbishment continues to make good progress with the significant milestone of the first new lift and staircase becoming operational from today, Tuesday 23 April, with two more lifts coming very soon. This will improve accessibility to upper floors and enable work to start on removing the old lifts.

Use the new lift to reach group study space on the 1st Floor and all books and materials which remain available on the 3rd and 4th Floors. Meanwhile refurbishment continues on the closed 2nd and 5th Floors. Behind the hoardings, the demolition of the central staircase behind the old lifts is now complete. This will create space for print hubs on every floor and a silent study PC area on the 5th Floor.

The works involved in removing the old lifts may sometimes be noisy and disruptive. Alternative quiet and silent study spaces are available in the Library@URS building, as well as a variety of alternative study space options across campus. A guide to the availability of study space across the campus can be seen here: Study space update.

This refurbishment forms part of the University’s ambitious 2026: Transform capital investment programme, which focuses on improving campus facilities and supporting the student experience by the University’s 100th anniversary of its charter.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator
for University Communications