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

Library books renewed until 30 April

To help all our members we have renewed all Library books until Friday 30 April.  This new due date will apply to all loan types: standard, 7-day, short loan and journals.

Return loans in the Book Drop flap to the right of the Library front doors

The recall process is still in place for items that are in demand. Please continue to place holds on anything you need and we will try to get it back for you.

If you do get a recall notice for a book you have on loan, you will be asked to return it sooner. Return your items in the book drop, located to the right of the main entrance.

If you have any difficulties returning items or any other questions then please get in touch with us on 0118 378 8770 or email library@reading.ac.uk.

If you have an inter-library loan and are not certain about when it is due back, please contact us or check your library account via Enterprise.

Rebecca Ashley
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

Extended loans for library books

We have a little bit of good news which will hopefully alleviate any concerns you may have about library fines during the current lockdown period. To help you stay at home and cut down on non-essential trips to the Library we are extending the due date on all Library books until 28 February.

This will apply to all loan types: standard, 7 day, and short loan. We’ll extend everything already out on loan and from today all new loans will go to this date too.

Metal letter-box type flap (labelled Book drop) in glass and metal section of building

Return your items in the book drop, located to the right of the entrance.

We’ll still keep the recall process in place for items that are in demand. So do continue to place holds on anything you need and we will try to get the book back for you.

If you get a recall notice for a book you have on loan the due date will be brought forward as normal and you’ll need to return it to us in the usual way via the external Book Drop. If you have any difficulty doing this please get in touch with us on 0118 378 8770 or library@reading.ac.uk and we will do our best to help you.

Sue Egleton, Associate Director Systems & User Services

Borrow until January for Christmas!

A Christmas tree made of books

Our Christmas present to you! Borrow all vacation, 30 November to 12 January.

To help borrowers heading home early due to UK government guidance, we’re lending everything to all Library members from Monday 30 November until Tuesday 12 January.

These Christmas vacation loans will include standard, 7-day, overnight loans and journals. We hope this will make things a little easier for everyone!

What about holds?

If other Library members have already placed a hold on a 7-day or standard loan item, we will only lend you the item for 7 days. If someone is already waiting to use a Short Loan item we will only be able to lend you the item on overnight loan, so that everyone gets the chance to use the material they need.

If you need an item before January, you can still place holds as normal and we will contact the borrower and try to get it back for you.

We may need to recall your Library books during the vacation if another person requests them, so please check your email regularly. If you have difficulty returning items or any other questions, then please email library@reading.ac.uk for help and guidance.

Vacation hours

See our opening hours for full details of Library opening times over the vacation. No items will be due back between Monday 21 December and Sunday 3 January, the University closure period.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services

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

New and replacement Campus & Library Cards unavailable

Library staff will not be able to print Campus or Library Cards from 15:00 on Wednesday 18 September until Monday 23 September inclusive.  

This is to facilitate the arrival and enrolment of our new students.

Normal service will resume at 09:00 on Tuesday 24 September.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services

New and replacement Campus & Library Cards unavailable

Library staff will not be able to print Campus or Library Cards from 15:00 on Wednesday 18 September until Monday 23 September inclusive.  

This is to facilitate the arrival and enrolment of our new students.

Normal service will resume at 09:00 on Tuesday 24 September.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services

We are going cashless!

From Monday 6 August the Library will no longer be able to accept payment by cash or cheque. The coins fines payment machine in the Library will also disappear. 

The Ground Floor Information desk in the URS Building will still accept credit/debit/campus card or contactless payments.   University members can also pay online 24/7 via the Campus Card Portal.
As part of the Library’s refurbishment new self-service points will be installed with integrated electronic payment facilities.

The change is part of the University’s strategy which will see cash & cheque payments phased out across campus.

Rebecca Ashley on behalf of Nick Hollis, Library User Services Manager

Temporary noise disruption possible

You may experience some noise disruption in the silent study Room G29 on the Ground Floor of the URS Building this week as windows are being replaced in the Wager building, which is just behind the URS building.Black young man in headphones and Asian young woman seated at Library study table

From time to time, construction noise can be heard in Room G29.  It is anticipated that the work on the elevation facing the URS Building will be completed by the end of this week.  If you are finding the noise intrusive, please use the Silent Study rooms on the 2nd floor.

Remember you can always use the online room finder to locate alternative study areas.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Rebecca Ashley, Senior Library Assistant for Sharon Hill, LUS Team Leader

Paying Library fines – Campus Card portal upgraded

It is now possible to pay Library fines using the upgraded Campus Card portal.

Following the upgrade some users may need to delete their internet cache before they can access the new mobile friendly site.  So remember clear your cache to pay your cash!

Fines can also be paid:

  • at the Library building Self-Service Point fines payment machine (up to £12)
  • at the URS building Information Desk
  • by ringing us on 0118 378 8770 with a credit/debit card.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services
for Nathan Harvey, Campus Card Systems Manager

Looking for your Course Collection booking?

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESWe have made it even easier for you to get your Course Collection bookings!  No more worries about remembering Call Numbers or searching for items on the shelf! You now pick up your Course Collection bookings from the Ground Floor Information Desk.

Remember you need to collect your booking within an hour of the collection time. Items not collected within the allotted time will be returned to the shelves for others to borrow.

You can book two Course Collection items up to seven days in advance – just click on the ‘book Course Collection copy’ option on Enterprise and follow the online instructions.  You can choose from the following:

  • collect 10:00-11:00 to borrow for six hours
  • collect 16:00-17:00 to borrow until 10:00 next day
  • collect 16:00-17:00 Friday to borrow over the weekend until 10:00 Monday

Busy in the afternoon? Can’t make it to the Library by 17:00 to collect your Course Collection booking? We can arrange for your booking to be kept safely for you for a bit longer in the evening, just ask staff at the Ground Floor Information Desk for details.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services