The Library has a variety of study spaces to suit different ways of working. The information on this page is to help you use our spaces in a way that is comfortable for you.
Silent study spaces can be found on the first, second and mezzanine floors – look for the purple banners at the entrances. The mezzanine can be accessed by lift and stairs from the General Collection area on the second floor, and includes a desk designed to accommodate a wheelchair (first image below).
You can find a range of different seating options including pod seats, PC desks, seats near windows, and adjustable height desks. Our Assistive Technology Suite is located in first floor silent study.
The silent study areas that tend to be least busy are on the second floor in the rooms behind and in front of the stairs (shown in purple below). The back half of the room in front of the stairs is reserved as silent study space for Postgraduate Research students only (shown in orange below).
Founder's Reading Room on the first floor in Founder’s Building West is another silent study space which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Offering a more historical setting than the Davison Building, it tends to be less busy than many of our other silent study spaces. The Reading Room can be accessed via the South Tower. There are no PCs in the Reading Room.
Noise-cancelling headphones are available to loan for 24-hour periods from the Library helpdesk. These work through Bluetooth connecting either to your own device or to one of our loanable laptops.
The Whisper Zone on the first floor is a space where you can have low-level whispered conversation with others or work individually without needing to be in complete silence. There are PCs and study desks in this area.
The room is located behind the stairs on the first floor (general collection 700 - 826).
Group Study areas can be found on the ground floor in the High Use collection, and woodland side of the first floor. Look for the green banners at the entrances. You can access the first floor by the stairs or by using the lift.
These are areas where you can study with a small group of friends, for example for a group project or revision. Seating is a mix of round tables, pod seats, PC desks, seats near windows, and bookable group study rooms. Group study rooms can be booked for two hours at a time, up to two weeks ahead. You can book online and also see information on the equipment available in each study room. There are also individual study desks which may suit you if you like to work with some background noise, and don't forget that the bridges between floors also have seating, for groups and individuals. These can be busier and louder at times.
The area of the ground floor which is usually least busy is the wellbeing area towards the Founder's end of the space.
The areas that are usually less busy on the first floor are the area by study rooms 5 and 6 towards the front of the space, and the soft seating area overlooking Founder's Square. These are often quieter in the mornings. Quieter areas are shown in purple on the maps below.
Founder’s Reading Room and PC Lab 1 in the Computer Centre are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including when the Davison Building is closed. Remember to bring your student ID card for swipe access out of hours.
Founder's Reading Room is a silent study space on the first floor in Founder’s West. It can be accessed via the South Tower.
PC Lab 1 is available 24/7 if you need to use a computer. The Computer Centre is located behind the Windsor Building (campus map). Turn right after the entrance doors, then PC Lab 1 is the room on the left.
The Library is generally less busy in the mornings and in the evenings after 7pm. The quietest times during the working week tend to be Wednesday mornings, followed by Friday mornings.
Weekends are also a quieter time if this suits your study schedule, but make sure you have some down time across the week!
Our Live Chat service is open 10am – 9pm every day. If you experience any problems using our study spaces, please let us know so we can help. Click 'Can We Help' on the right to get started. You can use this service anonymously.
We have a range of equipment available to loan from the helpdesk to help you study comfortably. Find out more on the Accessibility Facilities and Services tab.
Get to know our different study spaces and find your favourite by joining a library tour! Book onto a 30-minute guided tour with our friendly librarians who will show you how to make the most of your library.
