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Category: Library building

Summer hours at Old College

The Law School is moving to Summer Hours which means that the building will close at 5pm each weekday from Monday 25th May until Sunday 20th September. Unfortunately this means the Quad Cafe will also be closed for the summer, so you may have to travel further afield for your caffeine fix!

The Law Library will now be open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Please note that the EdHelp desk will close at 4.50pm each day to allow our staff sufficient time to enact our closing procedures.

The Main Library will still have study space available at the weekends throughout the summer, check the Library Opening Hours website for more information.

Library staff will be available throughout the summer to answer any queries you have so if you need to get in touch please drop us an email.

Free University Card Replacement

So, what do you do when your university card is lost, damaged or stolen?

Well, usually you will visit our EdHelp Service Desk in the Main Library or any Card Help Desks and get a replacement card. But, you will need to pay the £10 fee; and the fee applies to all card holders (staff, students and visitors)

But for the next few weeks, between April 21 – May 23 you can get your university card replaced for free!!!

[metaslider id=662]

This is a one time, single offer for the duration specified above, so if your card is lost, damaged or stolen, head to one of our card help desks and the super friendly library staff there will be able to help you.

leaflet telling of the free card replacement service. includes 3 small pictures/signs for the gym, library and exams

Best wishes

Your Academic Law Librarians

 

Dear Library, I love you / I am breaking up with you because….

Happy February all!

With Valentine’s day fast approaching, the Law Library has decided to run again the very successful ‘Love Letters to the Library’.

The idea for these Love Letters is taken from Andy Priestner’s A Handbook of User Experience Research & Design in Libraries.

Library users are asked to write letters to the Library, and it can be about anything that they love or hate. It has been very successful  as Priestner says “the method is universally understood and very willingly participated in”.

So, you are given the option to either declare your love or break up with the Library. The letters are written specifically to the Library and not to staff and you can give your reasons for your choice. Your responses help us have a very informal and often funny but instructive idea as to how you feel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        We will run this from the 10th till the 16th February; you can pick up your love or break up letter from the foyer at the Law Library and fill it in at your leisure.
Table with 3 transparent small stands. There are 2 read trays with pieces of paper in them. The is a small bowl with chocolates
Responses are private and are judged by Law Library staff. When winners are chosen from each category they are contacted for permission to anonymously post the letters on social media.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        And there will be a £20 book token for a winning love letter and a winning break up one!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              So, go ahead and pick up your love or break up letter from the Library and let it know how you feel and what you like or don’t like about it.

We are looking forward to reading your replies; and remember to address them to the Library.

Have fun!

Happy New Year and Welcome back

Happy new Year all and welcome back!

2025 has landed and the new semester is already underway. Teaching has resumed and the Law Librarians are busy delivering new information literacy classes to postgraduate students.

The Law Library is now open but still on reduced hours until this Sunday. Please check before planning your trip there to avoid any disappointment. Normal opening hours will resume on Monday 13 January. The Main Library has resumed its normal opening hours.

3 students in the entrance of the Law Library, in the Old College

As always, we are here to help you with any enquiries you have about resources, referencing and literature searching. We offer one to one appointments most weeks; visit the MyEd Events Booking system and look for ‘literature search clinic’ and select the option relating to Law. And if you can’t see a bookable slot that suits you please email us on law.librarian@ed.ac.uk.

Warm Wishes from your Law Librarians

With the exam period almost finished, it is time for all of us to get a well deserved break from studies, assignments and work in general. The University will be closed across the 2024 festive period from 5pm on Monday 23rd December 2024 and reopening at 9am on Friday 3rd January 2025.

The Law Library will remain closed for the period mentioned above. If you are studying or conducting research over the winter break you will find our online resources remain accessible via the usual channels, but should you run into difficulties we will not be able to respond to any messages until we return in January. Your Law Librarians will be away from Friday 20th December 2024 and coming back on Monday 6th January 2025.

The Main Library will remain open for most of the duration of the holidays but with reduced staffing and opening hours.

We wish you a restful and pleasant winter break during your time away from the University. See you in 2025!

~ Anna & Rania

Lit christmas tree in the Old college quad in Edinburgh

 

Study Spaces in and around the Law Library during your exams

With the exam period already here and the need for more space to study and revise, one of the most common concerns for Law students is finding study spaces in the library.The Law Library is the favourite and preferred place to study but as spaces are limited, we have looked around the central campus for more options to manage demand during peak times.

ringbound notebook with screwed up bits of paper next to it, indicating multiple drafts.
From Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/garbage-trash-litter-recycling-3259455/)

EXTENDED OPENING HOURS:

More information about opening hours for the Law Library specifically over the festive period can be found on the Law Library pages of the Library website. Please note that there are extended opening hours on Sundays in November (on 24th) and December (on 1st, 8th and 15th) until 18.50. Usual Sunday opening hours (open until 16.50) will resume in January.

STUDY BREAK CARDS:

Cards are situated around the library that can be used to keep your space while you take a short break. Turn the card to 15 minutes for a Short Break or fill out the time you intend to be away from your desk for longer breaks like lunch (up to one hour). This scheme has been shown to encourage healthy study patterns and help utilise the space we have available. We’ve used this system in the Law Library in the past and it’s gotten great feedback, so much so that it’s been extended to other libraries in our network.

ALL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS LIBRARIES (CENTRAL, KB, EASTER BUSH, WESTERN & ROYAL INFIRMARY)

Did you know that you can use any of the 13 site libraries that are part of the University’s library network? There are 5 within 5-10 minutes walk of the Law Library and the rest a bit further afield. Feel free to explore the different Library Locations

We believe this is a compromise that can work for students who need to use materials held specifically in this library without limiting who can work and study in the space. We understand Law students can feel that they should be prioritised when it comes to space in the Law Library, however the Law Library is part of the libraries’ network – including the Main Library, which also houses high use law books – and limiting access to one of these is neither possible nor fair. Law students also benefit from being able to use any of the campus library facilities – for example, did you know that the new KB nucleus is directly connected to the Murray Library and is open to everyone (including Law students)?

ADDITIONAL SPACES WITHIN THE SCHOOL OF LAW

For those of you that prefer to work within the space of the School of Law, there are additional spaces alongside any cafe facilities. You can also use the Dame Margaret Kidd Social Space and the Ken Mason Postgraduate Hub.

MORE STUDY SPACES AROUND THE CENTRAL CAMPUS

There are also temporary additional study spaces open at the Main Library and 40 George Square for study and revision. For all Postgraduates, the 5th floor in the Main Library is the place to be. And 40 George Square now features a Heat & Eat space! Details can be found of these and many other spaces across campus on the Study Spaces page of the website

And don’t forget, you can book group study rooms and student study spaces in all libraries by visiting the myEd Room Booking system (Booker).

Lastly, did you know about the Lister Learning & Teaching Centre? A beautiful space, not that far away from Old College, it offers space for teaching and revising. You can visit or book a space (through Booker) to revise or work on your assignments

All this information can be found in a handy leaflet we have prepared for you. Make sure you pick one up from the Law Library or download it and you can access the different locations by scanning the QR codes.

While we can appreciate the issues with finding space in the Law Library we find it a great compliment that so many students want to study with us. We are limited in the number of seats available but we hope you’ll understand we’re doing what we can to maintain a pleasant and peaceful study environment; the fantastic Helpdesk team are always on hand to assist where they can.

Our Helpdesk staff are ready to assist you in the library.

If you have queries or want to speak to someone directly about our libraries and collections, you can contact us by email: law.librarian@ed.ac.uk. We’d love to hear from you.

Library Tours for Staff 2024

Are you a new or existing staff member who would like to find out more about the University’s libraries?

Join an Academic Support Librarian on a 20 to 30-minute in-person tour of one of our ten Library sites. Find out about key library services including EdHelp, borrowing, printing, and study spaces. Discover the general print collections at the Library and explore the subjects covered. These tours are suitable for staff in all roles across the university and staff can visit as many of our libraries as they wish.

The currently scheduled dates are listed below. To book a tour, visit Event Booking.

Schedule of library tours:

Main Library

22 January @ 09:30, 6 February @ 10:30, 6 March @ 14:00, 2 April @ 10:30, 8 May @ 14:00, 12 June @ 14:00 (additional tours to be confirmed)

Art and Architecture Library

5 March @ 09:15

 

Edinburgh College of Art Library

6 February @ 09:15, 9 April @ 09:15, 7 May @ 09:15, 11 June @ 09:15

 

Law Library

12 February @ 10:00, 21 March @ 11:00 (additional tours to be confirmed, or email law.librarian@ed.ac.uk for more info).

 

Moray House Library

25 Jan @ 11:00, 22 Feb @ 11:00, 21 Mar @ 11:00, 25 Apr @ 11:00, 23 May @ 11:00, 20 June @ 11:00

 

Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library

14 Feb @ 15:00 (additional tours to be confirmed)

 

New College Library

30 Jan @ 16:00, 27 Feb @ 16:00, 26 Mar @ 16:00 (additional tours to be confirmed)

 

Royal Infirmary Library

26 Jan @ 10:00, 7 Feb @ 10:00, 26 March @ 09:30 (additional tours to be confirmed)

 

The Lady Smith of Kelvin Veterinary Library

24 Jan @ 14:00 (additional tours to be confirmed)

 

Western General Hospital Library

25 Jan @ 10:00, 19 Mar @ 12:30, 22 May @ 13:00

Did you know…? Study Space Traffic Lights

We’ve recently heard from students and staff that they would love for some kind of indicator of how busy the Law Library is when it comes to finding a study space. But did you know we’ve already got this information on our website?

If you visit the Law Library Location & Contact page you will find a traffic light panel that will tell you exactly how busy the library is at any time, and this information refreshes every 5 minutes! This is based on anonymised data taken from the swipe entry gates to the library, so while it doesn’t give us a seat-by-seat count of which spaces are available it’s a pretty good indicator of busy periods.

Screenshot of the traffic light occupancy bar which is displayed on the Law Library Locations webpage.

You’ll see above the colour coded lights that the bold text tells us that at 12.15 today the library is NOT BUSY. If you use your cursor to hover over the bar on the website a pop up text box will appear, which currently says “Library is at 20% of occupancy. You will find a choice of spaces in the library.”

If the library is full when you’re trying to visit you can check out the Study Spaces website for suggestions of where else you can go on central campus. You should also be aware that during the lead up to exams we make the MacLaren Stuart and Quad Teaching Rooms open for study. When these are available there will be large signs posted at the entrance to the library directing students to the available rooms.

NOTE: The traffic light sign is usually also displayed on the plasma screens next to the Helpdesk when you visit the Law Library, near the entrance to the Reserve section. At present this is not working properly but we are in the midst of getting it fixed, and will update when it is available again.

Warm wishes from your Law Librarian

Working in the Law Library today has been like night and day since the study space scramble of last week, and that’s because most students have now finished up for the term and are beginning their winter breaks. The Law Library is still open until 4.50pm tomorrow (Thursday 22nd December), and we will then close our doors until Wednesday 4th January 2022. If you are studying or conducting research over the winter break you will find our online resources remain accessible via the usual channels, but should you run into difficulties we will not be able to respond to any messages until we return in January. Alternatively the Main Library is available during the holidays, you can find out more on their page on the website.

It’s been a bit of a tricky year in the land of Law Libraries as we’ve been short staffed for much of Semester One both on the Helpdesk and in the Academic Support Librarian team. We appreciate your patience while we do what we can in the time available, and look forward to Semester Two where we hope we’ll be back up to a full complement before too long.

We wish you a pleasant and restful winter break and hope for your health and happiness during your time away from the University. See you next Semester!

 – SarahLouise 

Christmas tree on display in the quad at Old College.

 

Study Spaces in the Law Library

One of the most common concerns for Law students at this time of year is finding study spaces in the library to help them get ready for assignments and exams. We know the Law Library is a favourite place to study, so here are some ways we’re trying to help manage during peak periods.

EXTRA STUDY SPACES:

Library Services book out other rooms in the University to help meet demand for study spaces during the revision and exam period. The spaces closest to the Law Library are the MacLaren Stuart and Quad Teaching rooms in Old College, and there are helpful signs pointing the way to these at the entrance to the Law Library:

G.158 Quad Teaching Room (seminar room, 15 seats) and G.159 MacLaren Stuart Room (large classroom, 55 seats)
Open daily from Saturday 3 December to Wednesday 21 December.
Opening hours as per Law Library opening hours: Monday to Thursday 09:00-21:50 ; Friday 09:00 to 18:50; Saturday 09:00 to 16:50 ; Sunday 12:00 to 18:50 on 4, 11, 18 December.

There are also temporary additional study spaces open at the Main Library and 40 George Square for study and revision; details can be found of these and many other study spaces across campus on the Study Spaces part of the website.

More information about opening hours for the Law Library specifically over the festive period can be found on the Law Library pages of the Library website. Please note that there are extended opening hours on Sundays in December (on 4th, 11th or 18th) until 18.50. Usual Sunday opening hours (open until 16.50) will resume in January.

STUDY MONITOR:

We’ve asked our student staff to work as study monitors from Monday 12th to Friday 16th December. They will be helping students find spaces, take counts and to monitor how the study space cards are being used.

STUDY BREAK CARDS:

Cards are situated around the library that can be used to keep your space while you take a short break. Turn the card to 15 minutes for a Short Break or fill out the time you intend to be away from your desk for longer breaks like lunch (up to one hour). This scheme has been shown to encourage healthy study patterns and help utilise the space we have available. We’ve used this system in the Law Library in the past and it’s gotten great feedback, so much so that it’s been extended to other libraries in our network.

RESERVE COLLECTION DESIGNATED DESKS (NEW):

One of the concerns we’ve heard from students is that at peak times there’s nowhere to consult Reserve (3-hour loan) materials as it’s impractical to take these items far from the library for use. We listened and are now trialling a system where the 18 desks nearest the Reserve collection on the ground floor are Designated Desks in order to use materials from the Law Library specifically. If students require use of these desks they should alert Helpdesk staff who will put out a call for those not using Law Library collections to vacate this bank of desks within 20 minutes. Signs indicating this procedure are posted on these desks.

Designated Desk sign with Library branding. Sign reads: Reserved for the Consultation of Law Library Books You may be asked to move in 20 minutes if this desk is required by a student for this purpose.

We believe this is a compromise that can work for students who need to use materials held specifically in this library without limiting who can work and study in the space. We understand Law students can feel that they should be prioritised when it comes to space in the Law Library, however the Law Library is part of a network of 13 site libraries – including the Main Library, which also houses high use law books – and limiting access to one of these is neither possible nor fair. Law students also benefit from being able to use any of the campus library facilities – for example, did you know that the new KB nucleus is directly connected to the Murray Library and is open to everyone (including Law students)?

While we can appreciate the issues with finding space in the Law Library we find it a great compliment that so many students want to study with us. We are limited in the number of seats available but we hope you’ll understand we’re doing what we can to maintain a pleasant and peaceful study environment; the fantastic Helpdesk team are always on hand to assist where they can.

If you have queries or want to speak to someone directly about our libraries and collections, you can contact us by email: law.librarian@ed.ac.uk. We’d love to hear from you.

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