It might feel as though the kids have only just gone back to school, but the October holidays are upon us already! If you need to visit the Library to study and don’t have childcare, don’t fret. Our Family Study Room is here for students who must balance their academic to-do list with their caring responsibilities for children.

Located on Level 3 of the Library, the Family Study Room is a dedicated space for those who need to supervise a child aged up to 12 years while studying. Whether you’re working independently or alongside your peers, the room is designed to support your needs.  

Key features include:

• Child-friendly seating: One low circular table with five small chairs, perfect for small children.
• Adult workspaces: Two adult-height tables, each seating up to four people.
• Digital screens: For group or solo work and file sharing.
• Pushchair space: Dedicated area for a buggy or pram.

The room is available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Keeping wee ones entertained

We’ve provided a small selection of children’s colouring sheets, toys, and books. Children are of course welcome to bring their favourite toy to the Library with them, so long as it doesn’t disrupt other users or cause any safety concerns.

Please ensure young children are kept safe by managing the risk of smaller objects being used inappropriately.

Children must be supervised at all times and should never be left unattended in the Family Study Room.  

For more information, please see our Family Study Room policy.

Step-free access

Don’t be put off by the entrance stairs if you have a pram or buggy with you. You can use the accessible entrance at 101 St James Road, opposite The Howgait pub. Just ring the bell and a member of staff will be on hand to assist.

Changing and feeding facilities

The closest baby changing facilities are in the accessible gender-neutral toilet near the stairs on Level 3. Additional facilities are available in the accessible gender-neutral toilet on Level 2. Room CU417 on Level 4 has a mobile baby change unit (without a sink); staff can direct you if needed.

You are welcome to breastfeed or bottle feed in the Family Study Room. If you prefer more privacy, Room CU417 on Level 4 is available. Ask staff for directions and please knock before entering to ensure the room is not already in use.

More help

Need help while using the Family Study Room? Visit the IS Enquiries Desk during staffed hours and we’ll be happy to assist you in finding books or resources.

Have you used the Family Study Room?

Let us know in the comments how it went.

October is Black History Month (BHM). Each year in the Library we mark Black History Month by creating & sharing displays, reading lists and Box of Broadcasts playlists. This year we wanted to try something new and focus on Black writers from around the globe.  

In previous years, our BHM displays have focused mostly on the work of British and American writers. This time, we really wanted to show the wide variety of literature by Black writers from other continents, too. As in previous years, our display has a mix of novels, histories, short story collections and autobiographies, but this year we have added works written in French, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as in English.  

This BHM we wondered, how can we introduce more of our Library visitors to the world of Black writers? By showing it on a map! Our BHM world map is now on display in the Library. We’ve added images of book covers to countries on the map, showing where each author comes from. A QR code on each book takes you directly to its record on our catalogue where you can find where in the Library the item is shelved, or follow the link to the eBook version to read it online.  

Our map includes works of authors from across Africa, Europe, North, Central and South America, and Oceania, too. Our hope is that people see something new and try out a book they might not otherwise have been aware of. There are recent books like Girl, Woman, Other by the fabulous Bernadine Evaristo, right through to a short story by Alexander Puskin, who was born in the 18th Century.  

With dozens on the map and many more in the display, there’s something for everyone! Do you think we’ve missed something? Add your favourite authors and titles to the comment section. 

Each May the University campus gets gradually quieter as we approach the end of exams and the beginning of the long summer holiday. The Library is open throughout the break, so what exactly do we do in the Library while many of our students and academic colleagues are away?

We’re still open!

The Library is open seven days a week for most of the holiday period. We’re here to support students and staff who are still on campus or working elsewhere during the break, handling queries about Multi-Factor Authentication, printing, eduroam Wi-Fi and email, as well as questions about the Library, resources and academic skills. We welcome school and nursery visits, and also offer extended opening hours in July and August to help those who are re-taking exams or assessments.

This year we also offered a writing retreat and offered tours specifically for postgraduate researchers (PGRs).

We get work done

Because the Library is open year-round, it can be tricky to schedule maintenance. We try to get most work done during the summer break so that fewer people are disrupted.

We tidy the bookshelves and colleagues from Estates take advantage of these quieter days to carry out a deep clean of the Library building. Chairs, desks, floors and computers are freshened up ready for our new and returning students.

As well as these regular tasks, this summer we have:

• refurbished our bookable study rooms
• updated signage throughout the Library building
• updated the secure entry system
• set up our new Calm Spaces
• carried out repairs to the main staircase, and replaced the flooring and nosings on each stair (we also learned what stair nosings are!)

Our digital services have been given a refresh, too. The computers in the Library were upgraded to Windows 11, and we also moved our EBSCO databases to a new user interface.

We celebrate student graduations

Graduations are the highlight of the academic year, and we’re always so happy to see our students celebrating their achievements. We offer graduating students the opportunity to complete a short feedback survey and take selfies in the Library using our Graduation Snapshot props.

We go to summer events

New Staff Induction seminars and welcome events for new PGDE students take place during the summer break. We also run our own staff training events and attend University initiatives including the PGR coffee morning, University Learning & Teaching Day and the Staff Mental Health Breakfast.

We get ready for the year ahead

Each summer we do a lot of preparation for the coming academic year. We plan Skills Boost sessions, Library tours, Referencing Week sessions and outreach events. We update the Academic Library Skills module, tidy up our LibGuides and work with the StrathApp team to implement updates.

We recently appointed our two new Library & IT Student Ambassadors and we’ve been getting our colleagues in Student Experience onboard with Fresh, the customer support portal we use in Library & IT services.

We talk a lot about the year ahead and make sure we’re ready for welcome week – planning where we will be during Freshers’ Fair and accommodation move-in events, ordering freebies and making sure we have plenty of sweets to give away!

We go on holiday ourselves!

Of course, Library staff get to enjoy time off and trips away, too! This year our colleagues have been to Tiree, Portugal, Paris and London, amongst others. Did you get to travel this summer, or enjoy time at home? Let us know in the comments.