Responding to your feedback

We received over 500 pieces of feedback from across all our library sites. There was a lot of love for our staff, spaces and collections. 

In keeping with tradition, we even received a poem which makes up for a certain lack of scientific accuracy with great emotional feeling:

Veins are red 
Arteries are blue 
If you need some help 
Cruciform is for you!

Library and security staff were singled out for feedback, which we have shared with the individuals and teams, including: 

“You have a superb team, I was overwhelmed at their commitment” and “The staff at all UCL libraries are lovely and helpful”.

Thank you for these. We really appreciate the time you take to share your feedback.

Just over half of the feedback (50%) we received was positive, while 41% let us know that something was not as it should be, or was a suggestion on how we can improve our services. This type of feedback is important for us as it helps us build a library around your needs.

You said the library sites were too busy and you had difficulty finding a seat

We understand that some library sites can get very busy, especially the Student Centre and Main Library. You can view the number of available study spaces across all library sites online. Even during the busy periods, there are often several available study spaces in other UCL library sites across Bloomsbury.

We also opened temporary study spaces during the exams period with support from colleagues in the UCL Estates and Security teams. 

You said you find it difficult to find out information on different libraries and opening hours 

We have 17 library spaces across London offering a range of different facilities and services. We created a Find your favourite library tool to help you find the library best suited for your needs. 

You said the booking system doesn’t always work as it should

We have retained a booking system for a limited number of study spaces in the Student Centre in response to feedback we have received. Some students travel long distances to campus and need to know that there is a space reserved for them, and others need to know that they will have the use of a height-adjustable desk. For the vast majority of study spaces across our  library sites, there is no need to book in advance.

We regularly monitor our capacity for bookable spaces to ensure that we are meeting demand, and we also regularly review the system itself so that we can make improvements to the student experience when possible. 

Please continue to share your feedback, as we do use it to inform this review process.

You said you needed helping finding books and other resources

With over two million print books and one million e-books, it can be tricky to find what you’re looking for. 

We recommend LibrarySkills@UCL which will help you to develop information literacy skills and make the best use of library resources through online guides and live training sessions. Information Literacy is an important and valuable skill for professional and personal life (and will increasingly be so with the emergence of more powerful AI tools).

We have also created subject guides to help you find books, journals, articles, databases and other specialist resources for your subject area.

Why don't all library sites grant access to students from different faculties to visit on the weekend? 

The School of Pharmacy Library is the only site with evening/weekend restrictions: non-UCL members cannot visit this library after 18:00 during the week, and on weekends. The restrictions used to include UCL students who were not part of the School of Pharmacy, but this has recently been relaxed.

There was a temporary issue at the Bartlett Library with the card access system but this has been resolved and should no longer be a problem.

You said you wanted more fiction books 

We are strong advocates for the importance of reading for fun. Several libraries have ‘Wellbeing Collections’ and the IOE and Main Library have a great range of fiction books.

You can find book swaps in several libraries.

We also recommend joining your local public library. Anyone can join Camden and Islington libraries, and Westminster accepts anyone with a permanent UK address.

You said you wanted more books on specific topics 

We welcome suggestions to purchase books and other materials that we don't currently have available to support your learning and research. Find out more on our Suggesting a new book or resource webpage. 

You said fees for 1 day loan books were too high

We have a very limited number of items that are only available for short loans. These are books that are very popular (usually on reading lists) that we try to keep in circulation, as we are aware students may need them at short notice and may not be able to wait one week for the book to be returned to the library. 

Our librarians review the shot loan collections regularly and return books to longer loan policies when demand is anticipated to decrease.
 
We also try to purchase electronic copies of books where possible. 
 
If you are having trouble locating a book that is in demand, please note that we have reciprocal access agreements at a number of other university libraries including several in London.

You said the facilities in library spaces were not as good as they should be.

We work with colleagues in UCL Estates to make sure the toilets are clean and tidy, and the temperature in the study spaces is kept at a comfortable level. 

Sometimes facilities like lifts or water fountains are out of order due to factors out of our control, but we work closely with UCL Estates to ensure these issues are resolved as quickly as possible.

You said that the silent and quiet spaces can be noisy. 

We ask all library customers to follow library etiquette to create a welcoming space for everyone. Feel free to remind other users that they should be quiet or let staff know and we will speak to them. 

You can also contact staff via Library Chat.

You said the food on sale in the Student Centre is too expensive.

We have passed on your feedback to our colleagues in Gather&Gather, who manage the Student Centre cafe.

We also recommend visiting the Students’ Union food outlets on campus which offer a very cheap but good breakfast and lunch, as well as free hot water and microwaves. 

You said you wanted access to microwaves or kettles in libraries

Student Centre has both microwaves and mix (ZIP) taps that provide hot and cold water. Bartlett has a ZIP tap as well, as does the Research Grid in the Science Library (Postgraduate Research and staff only).

You said we need more water fountains on campus.

A number of our libraries have water fountains either within the library space itself or just by the entrance. These will be signposted in the buildings. You can also ask library staff for directions for the nearest water fountain. Check out the full list.

In some cases, fountains have been switched off temporarily for maintenance or repair. We work with the UCL Estates team to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.