You Said. We Did.

We’re always happy to hear your feedback on our services, as well as suggestions for improvement, and over the last few years we’ve made some changes based on your comments and requests:-

24/7 opening

You asked us to keep libraries open all night every night, and since Easter, the Main and Science libraries and the Cruciform Hub haven’t closed.

More study spaces

You asked us to create more study spaces so we now have the Senate House Hub which provides 144  learning spaces, including study rooms for individual use, collaborative work rooms,  and rooms with sofas equipped with PC and AV. Since 2014 the Cruciform Hub has provided over several hundred study spaces with power and Wi-Fi access as well as rooms for teaching and computer work. Other works include:-

• LASS refurbishment and installation of new desks – 10 spaces
• Installation of new desks in the Donaldson Reading Room – 33 spaces
• Installation of additional desks within the Management Reading Room – 48 spaces
• Relocation of spare desk, spare to English Reading Room, – 2 spaces
• Relocation of spare desk to Dutch Reading Room, – 2 spaces
• Science Library PC Cluster upgrade, ground floor/mezzanine, – 43 spaces
• Foster Court Cluster – 50 spaces

Dedicated postgraduate areas

We were asked for special areas dedicated to postgraduate study and research so we gained some temporary space in Main Library until the Research Grid opened in the Science Library earlier this year with 74 seats equipped with many features requested by graduate students during consultation at the design stage. We also manage the Graduate Hub with 51 spaces behind the Print Room Cafe as well as liasing with UCL ISD on increasing capacity in the Postgraduate Cluster in the Science Library.

Toilets

Another burning issue is the lack of toilet facilities, as evidenced in this e-mail complaint:-

“I am writing to you as a UCL graduate student who is spending countless hours in the main library. The fact that it is open for 24 hours is amazing, as well as the number of study spaces and other services. The main problem is however the sheer lack of toilets.”

So, as part of a UCL Estates programme to improve toilet facilities, we will be inaugurating the first gents toilets (ever) and increasing provision for female toilets in the UCL Main Library. We will refurbish the toilets in the Science Library as well, and all of this will be done for the new academic year in October 2016.

Looking further ahead, we look forward to the opening of the New Student Centre with 1,000 extra study spaces and showers (and plentiful toilet provision) in 2018-19.