From Monday 10 August, following a recent update to government guidelines, face coverings must be worn in the Library when using our Click & Collect services unless you are exempt under government guidelines.
Thank you for helping to keep our Library space as safe as possible.
For more information on how to use the Click & Collect service or place holds for collection, visit our previous blog post.
Tara Healy, Library User Services
Your Library team is excited to announce that from Monday 13 July Library members will be able to borrow some print books via a new ‘Click & Collect’ style service.
Please enter the front door and queue two metres apart
We’ve rearranged things so you’ll be able to place holds via Enterprise (the Library catalogue) on items that are ‘on the shelf’, just like you do with items on loan. We’ll fetch requested books from the shelves each day and you’ll get an email from us when your items are ready for you to collect.
You’ll be able to place holds from Thursday 9 July and the Library will be open for collections only 11:00 – 14:00 Monday to Friday from 13 July. We’ll keep your items available for up to five days as usual.
There’s a one-way route to your collection point
We’ve worked hard to put procedures in place that will keep you and our staff safe whilst participating with this service. When you arrive at the Library you’ll find a queuing system in place providing a one-way contactless route in and out of the building, and signs showing you where to stand to maintain your social distance from others.
You’ll be able to engage with staff at a collection point in the foyer, one at a time. We’ll ask you to put your Campus Card down and then step back so we can step forward to read your name and card number. Once we’ve issued your books to you we’ll put them down and step back so you can come forward to collect your books and card.
Exit by the side door
We’ll wipe the collection point in between each person. We’ll also be wearing gloves when we handle your books.
This service is take-away only and the Library building remains closed for general use. For full details of all aspects of this service visit our Click & Collect FAQs webpage.
Sue Egleton, Associate Director (Systems & User Services)
LGBT+ GuideLGBT+ is an area of research which can cover a wide range of academic disciplines. Continuing our celebration of February’s LGBT+ History Month, the Library would like to highlight the online guide to support research into LGBT+-related topics.
Taking the same format as our subject guides this guide focusses on the range of materials available from the Library and Special Collections relating to LGBT+ topics.
It is one of a series of cross-disciplinary research guides we have developed to support research in areas such as disability and inclusion, gender, and race and ethnicity (forthcoming).
It has been created, in consultation with staff and student representatives, to help you find some of the key resources the Library can provide in this area, as well as point you towards other useful online resources, libraries and archives.
We’d love to hear your feedback on the guide, so let us know what you think!
You can also help us to diversify the Library’s collections by putting forward your suggestions for Library materials to help support a more diverse curriculum.
If you would like to suggest other items for the Library, please complete our regular book suggestion form.
You can see all the Diversity fund titles purchased in current and previous academic years on our dedicated Library Diversity fund reading lists.
Tim Chapman, Academic Liaison Team Manager
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
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
On Tuesday 30 July, books began moving to the newly reopened 2nd Floor.
This week, Call Numbers in the normal size 100s and 200s will be moving from the 3rd to the 2nd Floor. Oversize books in the 000s, 100s, 200s and 300s will also be moving from the 3rd Floor to the 2nd Floor and basement. So if you’re looking for books about computer science, philosophy, psychology, religion, social science or law, they may have moved.
Journals in the 400s, 500s, 600s and 700s will be moving from the 4th Floor to the 3rd Floor. So if you’re looking for journals about languages, linguistics, science, technology, business, typography or arts, they may have moved.
Look out for signs on the shelves to point you in the right direction and please ask our friendly Library staff for help at the Welcome Desk on the Ground Floor if you get stuck. The Library catalogue will be updated to reflect the new locations, usually within a day.
You can read more about the book moves here. We’ll also provide weekly updates on what is moving via this blog, Twitter (@UniRdg_Library) and Facebook (@universityofreadinglibrary).
Katie Winter, Academic Liaison Support Librarian
From Tuesday 30 July, books will start moving to their final locations on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Floors.
This week, Call Numbers in the 300s will be moving from the 4th to the 2nd Floor. So if you’re looking for books about social science or law, they may have moved. Look out for signs on the shelves to point you in the right direction and please ask our friendly Library staff for help at the Welcome Desk on the Ground Floor if you get stuck. The Library catalogue will be updated to reflect the new locations, usually within a day.
You can read more about the book moves here. We’ll also provide weekly updates on what is moving via this blog, Twitter (@UniRdg_Library) and Facebook (@universityofreadinglibrary).
Katie Winter, Academic Liaison Support Librarian
Next week we are upgrading our Library Management System. During the upgrade on Tuesday 2 July, between 19:00 and midnight, (after the Library buildings are closed) some services will be unavailable.
You will still be able to …
But you won’t be able to …
The upgrade is planned to be finished by Wednesday 3 July, but the system will be ‘at risk’ for the rest of the week whilst our Systems Team make sure everything is working correctly.
Sam Tyler, Systems Manager
On Monday 21 January, books began moving from the 2nd Floor to the newly reopened 4th Floor.
This week, the remaining large books (000s, 300s and 800s), oversize books and journals will be moving from the 2nd to the 4th Floor. So if you’re looking for books about computer science, social science, law or literature, or journals on any subject, they may have moved. Look out for signs on the shelves to point you in the right direction.
Please ask our friendly Library staff for help at the Information Desks or Ground Floor Help Point if you get stuck. The Library catalogue will be updated to reflect the new locations, usually within a day.
Last week moves were completed on the normal size 300s. These joined the normal size 000s, 800s and 900s on the 4th Floor.
You can read more about the book moves here. We’ll also provide weekly updates on what is moving via this blog, Twitter (@UniRdg_Library) and Facebook (@universityofreadinglibrary).
Katie Winter, Trainee Liaison Librarian
On Monday 21 January, books began moving from the 2nd Floor to the newly reopened 4th Floor.
This week, Call Numbers in the 300s will be moving from the 2nd to the 4th Floor. So if you’re looking for books about social science or law, they may have moved. Look out for signs on the shelves to point you in the right direction.
Our 2nd Floor Information Desk will also be moving this week to the 4th Floor, with the 3rd Floor Information Desk remaining in place. Please ask our friendly Library staff for help at the Information Desks or Ground Floor Help Point if you get stuck. The Library catalogue will be updated to reflect the new locations, usually within a day.
Last week moves were completed on the normal size 000s and 800s. They have now joined the 900s on the 4th Floor. If you’re looking for books on computer science, literature, history, geography or archaeology, these will now be on the 4th Floor.
You can read more about the book moves here. We’ll also provide weekly updates on what is moving via this blog, Twitter (@UniRdg_Library) and Facebook (@universityofreadinglibrary).
Katie Winter, Trainee Liaison Librarian
LGBT+ is an area of research which can cover a wide range of academic disciplines. In celebration of February’s LGBT History Month, the Library has introduced a new online guide to support research into LGBT+-related topics. The guide takes the same format as our subject guides but focuses on the range of materials available from the Library and Special Collections relating to LGBT+ topics.
It has been created, in consultation with staff and student representatives, to help you find some of the key resources the Library can provide in this area, as well as point you towards other useful online resources, libraries and archives.
We’d love to hear your feedback on our new guide, so let us know what you think!
You can also help us to diversify the Library’s collections by putting forward your suggestions for Library materials to help support a more diverse curriculum.
If you would like to suggest other items for the Library, please complete our regular book suggestion form.
Examples of material recently purchased from this fund include:
You can see all the Diversity fund titles purchased in current and previous academic years on our dedicated Library Diversity fund reading lists
Kerry Webb, Associate Director (Academic Liaison and Support)
With the Library refurbishment drawing towards its later stages, the 4th Floor is nearly ready to be reopened. The next phase involves moving stock from the 2nd Floor to the 4th Floor, in preparation for the 2nd Floor closing for refurbishment.
The anticipated start date for this is Monday 21 January, with a timeframe of 5-6 weeks. This is subject to approval from Building Maintenance. We’ll keep you updated on this blog and on Twitter (@UniRdg_Library) and Facebook (@universityofreadinglibrary).
Yes! In keeping with our strategy to maximise access to stock throughout the Refurbishment Project, all books will remain accessible as far as possible throughout the move. Each shelf will be unavailable for around thirty minutes whilst the stock is being moved. The Library catalogue will also be updated to reflect the new locations, usually within a day.
The stock will be split by Call Number as follows:
100s – philosophy, psychology
200s – religion
400s – languages, linguistics
500s – science
600s – technology, business, typography
700s – arts
EDC
Teaching Practice
000s – computer science
300s – social sciences, law
800s – literature
900s – history, geography, archaeology
Journals
Library staff will still be available at the Information Desks and Ground Floor Help Point – please contact them if you can’t find what you’re looking for.
Books with Call Numbers in the 800s and 900s will be moving to their final locations and will not be moved again, while books in the 000s and 300s will move back to the 2nd Floor once it has been refurbished.
Keep up to date with the latest study space and Library refurbishment news on our Library refurbishment webpage.
Katie Winter, Trainee Liaison Librarian
