Maintaining a pleasant working environment for everyone who uses the library is one of our main concerns. To ensure that it continues to be a great place to study, we have introduced, or rather reintroduced for those of you who have used the library for a few years, two new schemes.
Study break scheme
We are still operating at reduced capacity and we’d like to make sure everyone has access to the study space they need. A study break pass allows you to take a break of up to 30 minutes during which time you can leave your belongings unattended. While we don’t take any responsibility for unattended personal stuff, with our study break scheme you can make sure that we don’t move your things to make space for other library users during the 30 minutes. After that time or if you choose not to use a study break card and you are away from the desk, other library users or staff are able to move your belongings to the side to make space. Find out more here or email library@sgul.ac.uk with any comments you might have.
Noise in the library
We have also introduced a texting service, so you are easily able to alert us to noise in the library or other issues affecting your study space. Text us, with your location, on 07562901543 and we will ensure you can study in peace and quiet. This service is available between 9am and 9pm Monday through to Sunday. Again, if you have any comments about this, please email library@sgul.ac.uk.
We hope that these schemes allow us to continue keeping the library a pleasant working environment for all library users.
If you are a regular library user it won’t have escaped your notice that our study spaces have been very busy recently. Since we tend to get even more visitors around assessment periods, we’re sharing a timely reminder of what we expect from our users. You can find our Library Code of Conduct on the library website as well as on the Library Rules page of our Library Essentials LibGuide.
For now, we wanted to remind you that:
Noise travels very easily, so please be mindful of your conversations and be aware of how they might disturb those working in the area around you.
The Library is a designated place for study and while it’s a convenient place to meet people, it isn’t an area that can, or should, facilitate socialising. If you are planning to meet up with friends, the social learning space or SU bar are better options.
The Library is zoned to accommodate different learning preferences. You are expected to be silent in the blue silent study zones and quiet, low volume conversation is allowed in the orange group study sections. Again, please be mindful of the volume of your conversations as you enter and exit these areas.
No food is permitted in the Library, although lidded drinks are allowed
No mobile phone conversations are permitted in the Library – even if you are using headphones. Please take your calls outside of the Library in the social learning space.
Personal belongings should not be left unattended nor used to ‘reserve’ a particular computer or study space. Unattended belongings may be removed by library or security staff to ensure fair use of the space, but you can indicate to other users you are taking a short break by using our Study Break Passes.
We encourage users to move aside belongings without a study pass so that they can use the space, or ask noisy groups to keep the noise down. However, if you aren’t comfortable doing so, you are always welcome to report noise disturbances or unattended belongings to the Library Helpdesk.
If you have any questions about the above, please contact a member of our User Services team by emailing library@sgul.ac.uk
Having listened to your feedback, we announced last month that we would be launching a new scheme to both encourage health study practice and to combat the issue of desk-hogging in the Library.
Today, our new Study Break Passes come into effect: if you are planning on leaving your belongings unattended you will need to make sure you’ve displayed one of our passes on the desk where you are working. This will enable you to leave your things for up to 30 minutes in the knowledge that they won’t be moved.
However, if you don’t display a pass with your belongings, or more than 30 minutes has elapsed since the time on your card, other users are free to move your items aside so that they can use the space for themselves.
We know that all of our users have different study preferences and meeting these needs can be a real challenge for Library staff. This issue is often made more difficult when other library users have left their belongings unattended to ‘reserve’ a desk. We hope that the cards will indicate which study spaces are actively being used and empower users to move belongings that are unattended. In essence, we want the scheme to encourage and maintain fair use of our study spaces.
We’re also keen to promote healthy study habits. Many of you are spending longer hours in the Library and will need to take a break from time to time. We hope that these cards will encourage you to “study healthy” and take regular breaks, without worrying your belongings might be moved.
Where can I find the study break passes?
When you need a break, you can collect one of the passes from the Library Helpdesk or the RED. Just write down the time you left your desk on the card and make sure it’s visible to anyone passing by.
The passes have been designed for multiple uses, so once you are finished with one, please return it to a member of staff.
What spaces are covered by the study break passes?
At the moment, the scheme will apply in the main Library study spaces and not the computer rooms. This also includes the seating in the Library foyer by the Helpdesk. The scheme will run all year round – it won’t be restricted to busy periods.
What if I forget to leave a pass on my desk?
This is a new initiative in the Library, so you may well forget from time to time. However, if belongings are left without a study pass, fellow Library users, staff and security will have no way of knowing how long they have been left there. Therefore it’s possible that they may be moved (or removed) before the 30 minute time limit.
If the time indicated on the pass has been exceeded by a reasonable time, or there is a lack of study space available, then belongings may be removed and placed behind the Helpdesk.
What if I don’t feel comfortable moving someone else’s belongings?
That’s understandable. If you don’t feel comfortable moving someone else’s belongings, you can ask a member of Security or Helpdesk staff for assistance.
It has always been they case that any belongings left in the Library are done so at the user’s own risk – the Library does not take responsibility for any items that are unattended.
You should always take valuable belongings with you when you leave the Library (e.g. purses, phones, devices, laptops etc.)
What if I just need a 5 minute toilet break?
It’s worth your while noting a time on a study pass anyway, even if you only plan to be away for a few minutes. While it’s unlikely your belongings will be moved, as we mention above, other users or staff will have no way of knowing how long you plan to be. Besides, we know all too well how easy it is to bump into a friend en route, or add a coffee stop on to your journey . This way, you’ll be covered if other events get in the way!
Can I report belongings that have been left been left unattended?
Yes you can. Our daytime security staff are back and will be patrolling the spaces during the day, so please feel free to let them know. You can also let a member of Library staff know at either the main Helpdesk or the RED during staffed hours.
The information featured here can also be found on our Library Esssentials LibGuide, under Study Breaks. If you have any questions about the scheme, please email us on library@sgul.ac.uk
We know that all of our users have different study preferences: you might need space to spread out your books, prefer to work in silence, or need access to a power socket. Meeting these preferences can be a challenge for Library staff and we’re aware that finding the right study space can be difficult when other library users have left their belongings unattended.
So, to help address this (and encourage you to take regular breaks from studying!) from the 1st October 2019 we’ll be introducing our new Study Break Pass scheme. If you are going to take a break and leave your belongings, you will need to collect a pass from our helpdesks to indicate to other users that they’ll be unattended for up to 30 minutes.
Other Library users will then be able to move aside belongings that have exceed this 30-minute limit, which we hope will dissuade people from ‘desk-hogging’ and encourage a fairer use of our study spaces for all.
You can find out how the scheme will work on the Study Break tab in Library Essentials. We’ll also be spreading the news about the scheme nearer to the launch date, so expect more detailed blog posts, social media content and announcements later in the term.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments, please email us on library@sgul.ac.uk
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