Policy in the Spotlight: Improved Library Facilities

The library underwent a refurbishment in 2010. While the new seating areas and layout are welcome, there are some major issues students have with the library, which need to be properly addressed if the library is to serve as an effective place for students to work.

Anyone who has worked in the library carrels during the winter knows how cold they can get, especially those which face Union House, where the windows don’t close properly. This isn’t good enough. Students are entitled to a comfortable working environment, no matter what time of year it is. I will push for a solution to the problem of draughts. Although I would aim for a replacement of the problematic windows in the long-term, since windows are expensive, there are simple short-term solutions that the library could implement, such as foam that seals window frames.

I will undertake a review of the new carrel assignment system, since my discussions with students seem to indicate that many are unhappy with the new system whereby you can reserve carrels ahead of time, but cannot lock them. This defeats a significant reason for having carrels – the ability to lock your belongings up and to not have to pack everything up when you need to leave briefly. Furthermore, when library-users need to ask others to leave the carrels they have booked, it is uncomfortable for those asking, and inconvenient for those being asked.

I wish to gauge student interest in extending library opening hours during the busiest times in the semester and the assessment period. If this proves to be a popular idea, I will work to extend the hours during which the main part of the library is open to students. My experiences of talking to students on the campaign also reveal a desire to have longer hours on the weekends. Currently, the library opens at 11am on Saturdays and Sundays, and several students have said that this is too late for them – if they have a large piece of coursework they are working on, the current hours mean they can’t even start for the day until approaching lunch. This is also an issue that I would explore the popularity of and based on the results, take appropriate action.