Help us make your Libraries great places to study by respecting our rules and, above all, respecting the needs of other Library users!

We understand that your study needs will differ throughout the peaks and troughs of the academic year: sometimes you need to work as a group, other times to get your head down and really focus in silence. We offer spaces to accommodate both these and other study needs. Here’s a guide to help you find the right study space for your needs and to ensure you are using it appropriately.

What do you need?

“Help! I’ve got a deadline! I need somewhere I can really sit and concentrate!”

One of the Forum Library Silent Study rooms: all drinks should have lids

Where to go:

Try one of our Silent Study spaces!

There are dedicated silent study rooms on all 3 floors of the Forum Library, in Research Commons  the  Main Reading Room and levels -1 and -2 are for silent study, while at St Luke’s Library  the top floor study room is devoted to silent working.

Make Silent Study work for you and for others:

• No conversation: we expect silent spaces to be just that!
• No sound from headphones: it’s fine to wear headphones but ensure your music is at a low enough volume that no sound escapes to disturb others
• All drinks must have lids
• Set mobile phones to silent or vibrate and if you need to answer your phone please leave the room to do so.
• Cold, unobtrusive  food only (nothing hot, odorous or noisy to eat/unwrap). We understand that everyone needs a snack from time to time but eating food in silent areas must not disturb others so why not have a break and take food to a breakout space instead?

Library staff regularly patrol silent areas to ensure these rules are being respected but if you are being disturbed by noise in a silent study area then do let us know as soon as possible so that we can deal with the problem. We’re in the process of setting up a text alert service for noise problems. This will go live in time for the revision period: watch this space for further details!

What do you need?

“We need somewhere we can work together or our presentation skills”

Where to go:

Group work room in the Amory Study Centre, you can book these online

Try one of our designated Group Study spaces

Drop in group spaces are available on all 3 floors of the Forum Library, while St Luke’s Library offers group rooms on the first floor and pods on the gallery st floor at  pods on the gallery.

If you’d prefer to book your group space in advance there are a number of rooms available through the student room bookings system, including Amory Study Centre rooms 003A – 003E,  Forum Student Services Centre Interview Rooms (bookable 5pm – 8pm Monday to Friday; and 10am – 3pm Saturday) and St Luke’s Student Presentation Room and group work room.

Make Group Study work for you and for others:

• Practise group work and presentations
• Conversation is allowed but please ensure behaviour and olume is reasonable for a study environment
• All drinks must have lids
• Cold food only and please remove any rubbish
• Remember to adjust your volume and do not disturb others when moving between different areas
• No alcohol is allowed in library spaces

If you need help using the Student Group Work areas, or would like guidance on how to book these spaces online please ask Library staff.

What do you need?

Breakout area in Research Commons

“We just want to chat and compare lecture notes over a cup of coffee”

For a less formal learning environment try one of our Breakout Spaces

These include: Forum Library Lounge and Balcony, Research Commons Breakout Space or St Luke’s Library first floor kitchen area.

Make the Breakout Spaces work for you and for others:

• Ideal for informal social learning or taking a break
• Comfortable seating in more relaxed arrangements
• Food and drink  are permitted here with vending facilities available but please clean up after yourselves
• Recycle all your rubbish using the bins provided
• Respect the space and ensure behaviour remains appropriate
• The consumption of Alcohol is not permitted

It’s healthy to take a break! Breakout spaces are for you to enjoy; help control noise in quieter areas by bringing your food and casual conversations here.

What about the rest of the Library?

Library computer clusters are intended for quiet learning

Any Library space not specifically  designated as Silent, Group or Breakout is for Quiet study.

This means that the Library is intended to be  quiet environment: hushed conversations, asking for help, finding what you need on the shelves, using printers, all of these create studious buzz, so some noise is inevitable but respect the needs of other students, control your volume and take group work or casual chats to more appropriate spaces.

Make Quiet Spaces work for you and for others:

• Keep conversations to a minimum
• Keep noise from your computer or mobile device to a minimum and always wear headphones if you are viewing a film or lecture online
• All drinks must have lids and no alcohol please
• Cold food only and please remove any rubbish to the landfill and recycle bins provided

Full details of our library behaviour policy can be found online here. Do please have a look and abide by these simple rules which exist to ensure respect for all library spaces and fellow library users. If you have any questions or comments please do , we’d love to hear from you!