Category Archives: Policies and rules

Restricted Library/URS entry for exam-time

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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)

Library visitor arrangements change after 18 April

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Three femal studetns walk infront of orange building with protruding sturts and undercroft on a sunny dayArrangements will be different for non-UoR visitors to this Library from 18 April until at least August 2018 whilst we operate from two buildings: the Library Building (no 2 on the Whiteknights campus map) and the URS Building (no 33 ).

SCONUL Access users

Users of the SCONUL Access scheme for students and staff from other universities:

  • SCONUL members in Bands A, B and C: You can borrow materials from the Library Building and use study spaces in the URS Building. Please call at the URS Building Information Desk to collect your Library card.
  • SCONUL Band R full-time undergraduates from other institutions: You may view and copy stock in the Library Building, but you may not borrow or take material to any other building. You will be able to use your own resources in URS Building study space.

Visiting as a member of the general public

You may view and copy stock in the Library Building, but there will be no study space here. We are sorry, but whilst Library services are relocated to URS, we will be unable to provide guest access to e-resources as a ‘walk-in user’.

Children

Unaccompanied children will not be permitted in the URS Building, in line with current rules on children in the Library building. Unfortunately, we will be unable to accommodate school visits until after August 2018.

Further information

See why Library study space moves to URS in a previous news post. For further information, see our Library Refurbishment Project page.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
Sue Egleton and Nick Hollis, Library User Services

Help stop Library study desk hogging!

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Library's 'Looking for study space?' card in red and greyIt is so unfair when students try to reserve study space by leaving their belongings behind. You think so and so do we. If this affects you, please ask Library staff to support you by placing warning cards on unattended stuff. If it is not moved after an hour, you will know you can sit there. Just ask us to help explain if anyone returns after this time and complains to you.

Leaving things overnight is particularly underhand. Between midnight and 08:00, staff will remove property left unattended for more than an hour to ‘lost property’ at Library Reception. If not claimed, the next morning it will be taken to Palmer Reception, the centre for all lost property in the University  (open 10:00-14:00 or in exam-time Monday to Friday, 13:00-14:00 only).

For more information, see our ‘Help stop study-desk hogging’ post from when we initiated this service in exam-time 2016.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for
Sue Egleton, Head of Systems and User Services.

Play fair and share!

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Male students reading booksHelp make the Library work effectively by respecting everyone’s right to resources and space. Just a minute checking when your Library loans are due back or clearing a desk space for others can help make this term a success for everyone!

Here’s some simple suggestions on how to keep on top of your Library account, save time and money, help your friends and provide a pleasant and productive working environment for all:

  • Return Library items on time, even if the Library is closed – don’t forget you can also post items back to us
  • Ensure nothing is overdue and avoid fines by keeping up to date with your loans online 24/7 through your Enterprise account
  • Print a receipt when borrowing items, as a reminder of when they are due back
  • Check your University email account regularly for Library messages – standard loan items can be recalled from you before the original due date
  • Don’t leave belongings behind to reserve study areas especially in revision time – our Library space is for the benefit of everyone
  • Find a study area with a sound level that suits you – from Group Study Rooms on the 2nd and 4th floors to silent study on the 5th

Check out our ‘Using the Library’ and ‘Policies and Rules’ pages for more information.

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Help stop study-desk hogging!

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Library's 'Looking for study space?' card in red and greyThanks for telling us how unfair you think it is when students try to reserve study space by leaving their belongings behind. From Monday 18 April, we are cracking down. Look out for our cards – but we need your help too!

Need study space? Move stuff after an hour!

Have you ever been looking for somewhere to work, seen empty seats, but been put off by unattended property there? You don’t know whether someone has just stepped away for a moment, or deliberately left stuff there during a long lunch, a whole afternoon or even overnight…. No longer!

During the exam revision period, Library staff will place cards on unattended property, noting the time. If the owner does not return within one hour, you are entitled to occupy the study space yourself, carefully putting items to one side for the owner to collect later.

Library staff will support your need for space, so just tell us if the returning student complains.

Don’t leave your stuff beyond an hour

Although you should always keep valuables with you, it’s OK to leave your things on your desk whilst you fetch a book or visit the toilet for instance. However leaving belongings at a study space beyond one hour is unacceptable and deprives others. Leaving things overnight is particularly underhand.

Between midnight and 08:00, staff will remove property left unattended for more than an hour to ‘lost property’ at Library Reception. If not claimed, the next morning it will be taken to Palmer Reception, the centre for all lost property in the University  which is open during exam-time Monday to Friday,  13:00-14:00 only (although other times, 10:00-14:00).

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for Sue Egleton, Head of Systems and User Services.