Since the new Library opened last year, it has won awards, housed events, and had 33,388 visitors in the first three weeks of term alone – that’s 47% more than in the previous year! While it undeniably looks incredible, it’s also invaluable to our students, staff and community, with resources, facilities and opportunities that benefit everyone. We are UR and this is our library.
- During each term-time weekday, the Library is open to midnight. We stay open 24/7 at key points in the academic year, around exams and submission deadlines.
- Are you a Whitelands student? The Library comes to you every Mon-Fri, bringing books requested via our Click and Collect service and picking up your book returns.
- We hold over 250,000 books on the shelves, and have over 34,000 online journals and 1,000,000 eBooks available via the Library Catalogue and the many databases we have access to. To put that in context, we’d need 4 more libraries to hold just one copy of each eBook!
What resources are available?
Every module at Roehampton has an online Resource List: a collection of books, online resources, scanned chapters, videos and everything in between, created by your lecturers. You’ll be able to find your reading either through Moodle or by searching for your module title on the Resource List website. We aim to buy every book on your list in eBook format, so if one is available for libraries we’ll buy it for you.
The Library Collections team scan essential and further reading extracts from your online Resource Lists and upload them to the list for you so they’ll be waiting for you to read. If there’s a chapter you’d like to have on your Resource List, please ask your lecturer. If we haven’t already scanned a chapter from the same book, we’ll be able to scan it for your whole class to read.
We base our purchasing decisions on Resource Lists, but also on how books are used in the Library. If we see that a book has been reserved more times than there are copies in stock, we’ll always buy more to satisfy the demand for reading. Remember to bring a book back if it’s been reserved to help your classmates – you can always reserve it straight back.
Stats can’t tell us everything, so students are able to suggest a resource for the library. If you think we don’t have enough copies of a book, or there’s something that would really benefit your studies, you can ask the Library to purchase a copy.
Borrowing and returning couldn’t be easier. Our streamlined self-service kiosks are fast and efficient. and our book returns machine, affectionately known as ‘Sorty’, helps students and staff get the books back on the shelf with ease. With automatic renewals in place, you can keep the book for longer if no one else needs it.
- There are 60 self-service laptops that are very popular. In one week only, during a 24-hour opening period, these laptops were borrowed nearly 1000 times!
How is the building arranged?
We have study spaces galore – 1,200 study spaces across 4 levels! Starting with the ground and 1st floors where group study (and snacking) is accommodated. The rule of thumb is as you ascend the levels, the more quiet the space becomes.
The 3rd floor is a completely silent and contemplative space. As the campus is on a hilltop location, the panoramic views across London from the top floor are stunning!
The lovely graphic below explains clearly how the levels are organised :
We expect a busy week in the Library so make sure you pick the right study area for you:
GF – quiet group study, snacks ok
1st – quiet(er) group study, snacks ok
2nd – whisper, no food
3rd – silent, no food#ThankYou@RoehamptonSU pic.twitter.com/57jUfMaZJM— Uni Roehampton Lib (@UR_Library) October 29, 2018
With all that work activity, you’ll certainly need some breaks and the chance to recharge your batteries. With this in mind, the spacious relaxing cafe is another popular location within the library. Situated on the ground floor overlooking Digby Lake, you can meet there to grab a coffee or snack, or just unwind.
If you are looking for further inspiration or motivation, the talented Library staff have curated a number of spaces scattered across the lower floors of the Library. These temporary exhibitions focus on themes, authors or events, and point to resources available in the library collections.
Top tip: use Library Chat to get in touch, and make sure to follow UR_Library on Twitter so we can keep you updated about opening hours and essential Library info, events and useful tips to help your study.
The Library is also home to the Academic Achievement Team, who equip students with writing, referencing and statistical tools to help improve their grades. Find out more and see their wealth of resources through the Learning Skills Hub on Moodle.