What’s going where in URS and Library

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 BuildingThree femal studetns walk infront of orange building with protruding sturts and undercroft on a sunny day

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:

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

Univeristy Library in springYou 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

Library study space moves to URS Building

Three femal studetns walk infront of orange building with protruding sturts and undercroft on a sunny dayThe University will shortly be able to offer the URS Building instead of studying in the Library during its major refurbishment. We will be moving furniture and IT equipment from the Library into URS so that students can study in a comfortable and quiet space away from construction works.

What we are doing

  • Studying in URS will be quieter as it is further away from Library building works.
  • The URS Building will be open 24 hours in term (except Saturday night) just like the Library is now.
  • Course Collection will move into URS to maintain full access.
  • Books will remain in the Library and will be borrowed as usual.
  • Although Library staff will be based in URS, they will also run an information service in the Library building to help you find and borrow books there.
  • Using URS means the refurbishment will be finished earlier than originally planned.

838 study spaces (including 145 computers) will move into URS along with Library staff – so there’ll always be someone on hand to help. Cafélibro will also relocate to URS.

All books (excluding the Course Collection) will stay inside the Library and will be available to use and borrow as usual. The Course Collection will move into URS and will continue to be accessible for 24 hours in term-time, as the Library offers now.

As well as providing a quiet and convenient alternative space for students, using the URS Building will mean that the length of the refurbishment programme will be shortened by approximately six months, ending mid 2019 as opposed to late 2019 / early 2020 as originally planned.

The URS Building was vacated in December 2016 in preparation for the building’s own major redevelopment – as the programme is still under revision in light of the URS Building’s grade two listing, the University is now in a position to offer it up as relief space to students. We expect URS to be available until at least August 2018.

RUSU are supportive of the move as it helps provide a suitable environment for work and study in the wake of such a major project. Ben Cooper, RUSU President, said:

“RUSU is committed to campaigning for more study space and better facilities for students on campus. We highlighted that the University must do everything it can to mitigate issues such as noise from the building work and access to books, especially for students currently studying here.

RUSU believes that this move of study space to URS is a good option and will result in less overall problems for students to face. It means that some of the noise problems will be reduced and there will be adequate study space in the busy periods whilst the Library refurbishment is being completed.”

The University is working hard to implement these plans ready for the 2017 Quiet Period. Logistics are still being finalised – we will share final plans as soon as possible. If the move is at risk of affecting the exam period it will be postponed until after exams have finished.

Don’t forget that as well as the URS Building, there are many additional alternative study spaces around campus – a full list is available online and our Free Room Finder helps identify available rooms on a daily basis. For more details of additional study space available on campus, project benefits and the latest news, please visit the Library Refurbishment Project webpage.

Rachel Redrup
for University Communications

New Library travel mugs, still £5.00

Library travel mug in grey with black lid bearing statement 'I'm keeping a lid on it in the Library'Remember we changed Library rules to allow you drinks in the Library – as long as they’re in lidded containers? And Cafélibro give 5% off drinks in your own cup? … But you need a lidded travel mug inside the Library?

Keeping a lid on it in the Library!

Cafélibro are now selling our latest style of Library lidded mug – still at £5.00, still a competitive price! Our Mark 2 design holds 450ml, is grey with a black lid and bears the statement  ‘I’m keeping a lid on it in the library’. Treat yourself! Make your statement with ours!

Drinks – yes; food – no!

Please note that whilst our rules still ban food from the Library, you can eat cold food in the café. Hot food, including takeaways, is not permitted anywhere in the building.

However, we look forward to forthcoming Library refurbishment which brings new opportunities in an enlarge the cafe! See what the architect plans on our website.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator

Further Library refurbishment 2016-2019 approved

Architect's impression of Library building and landscaping

Architect’s impression showing the refurbished Library west front with enlarged café, new cladding and landscaping

A £40 million redevelopment and refurbishment of The University Library starting this June, has been approved by the University Council. This second phase of the complete modernisation and revamp of the Library will increase space for individual and group study, and will make better use of the space currently available on the Ground and 1st Floors. Work is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2019.

Significant improvements

Specific key areas of improvement will include 200 more study places and increased toilet capacity with toilets available on all floors, including disabled and gender neutral provision. Café space will be expanded, including opening glazed doors onto external al fresco areas. New lifts will be installed, and an improved system for borrowing and returning books will be put into place.

The redevelopment will provide better access and security as well as improving its energy efficiency, through improved insulation and ventilation. The exterior of the building will be totally re-clad and will have replacement windows fitted throughout, providing a striking focal point at the heart of the Whiteknights campus.

University investment rates Library highly

The University Council approved the £25 million building costs, with an additional £15 million costs of keeping the Library fully operational, contingency funding, VAT and project management. This comes after the first £4.4m phase revamped the study spaces and furniture on the 2nd to 5th Floors in 2013 and 2014. Planning permission was granted by Reading Borough Council last December.

Our Vice-Chancellor’s view

“The Library has always played a central role in our life and work, with its location at the very heart of the University’s Whiteknights campus,” says Vice-Chancellor Sir David Bell. “We have invested £4.4m in the top four floors of the Library as a first phase of redevelopment and this major new investment of £40m will complete the project. We will combine traditional and crucial functions such as book and journal collections with group study facilities, great digital access and multi-purpose spaces. Our Library has never been a static, sepulchral space. It has continued to evolve over its 50 year history and as these excellent new facilities become available to students and staff.”

Keep calm, we’ll carry on!

The Library will remain fully operational to students across the entirety of the redevelopment. No building work will take place at all during exams. To minimise disruption for Library users, books held on floors being refurbished will be relocated elsewhere in the Library. Print journals will move off site, but as the majority of Library users access journal content online via the Library website, this should cause minimal inconvenience.

In addition, the University will provide alternative study space across the centre of the campus during exam and periods of high-demand – with details being confirmed in due course.

Further information

The Library Refurbishment 2016-2019 webpage gives further information, including a proposed work schedule, frequently asked questions and links to the latest refurbishment news on the University Library News blog (where day-to-day advice will be given to Library users).

A wider Campus Projects website is also in development, in which the Library redevelopment will be featured. Many other communication channels will also be used to help provide as much information as possible across the development of the project.

Rachel Redrup, Library Marketing Co-ordinator