Bright Ideas Update: Library Opening Hours

Hi everyone,

We’re here to give you a much-needed update on the Library's opening hours.

So, a few weeks ago we received a Bright Ideas submission from one of your peers asking for the Library hours to be reinstated to 24/7. 242 students voted in favour of this idea.

We also went out to you during our Speak Week and asked, "What's one thing you'd change about your first few weeks of term?" One of the recurring themes was the library's opening hours.

We took the Bright Idea and evidence of your feedback from Speak Week to the University's Senior Leadership team and the Library Services team. We then had several discussions about the feasibility of opening it up 24/7 again.

Unfortunately, the Library has faced some budget constraints this year. After using some heat mapping data to see the occupancy numbers at specific times, the team made the difficult decision to reduce its opening hours to 8am-12am (midnight).

However, in our meetings, the Library and Senior Leadership teams agreed that the demand placed on students means that they may need to study late at night or early morning. The overwhelming number of students who were in support of your Bright Idea really helped provide the student voice that was needed to further the discussion.

The Library Services team has confirmed that in Term Two the library will return to 24/7. In the meantime, Founder's Library remains open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to ensure that students who may wish to study overnight, have a space to do so. There are also discussions about some PC Labs being opened for those who may need access to a computer and some other spaces that will facilitate independent and group study – keep an eye on your emails for an update.

We know some of you prefer to study late, but we also know for others it could be a sign of stress and overworking. If you are struggling, please contact Wellbeing or the Advice Centre for support. We want to ensure that everyone's wellbeing remains a top priority, whilst also working to represent your academic interests.

If you have any ideas about how you think we could improve your experience here at Royal Holloway, let us know by submitting a Bright Idea. As you've seen, Bright Ideas help us show the University what you all want to see. Make sure to also keep an eye out for our next Speak Week to let us know what you're thinking. These are both ways in which we support and represent you! Please also email me if you have any further queries.

This work with the Library has been just one of the ways we have represented your academic interests this term.