The Library now has a bin for disposing of vapes/e-cigarettes at the Library entrance, which will allow the University to dispose of vapes in a safe and sustainable manner.
Where can I vape on campus?
Vaping and smoking are not permitted inside any building, including the Library premises (which includes the café), nor within 10m of the building. If outside the Library 10m is the benches beside the lawn.
In preparation for the University revision and exams period we will be making some changes to Library study space in the Library from Wednesday 3 April 2024. We know that this time can be stressful and it’s more important than ever to ensure that you find the right study space for you.
To help you make the most of this time, the Library has partnered with Reading Students Union to provide increased, quiet, individual study space. As part of this collaboration, the 4th Floor group study area will become a quiet study area. This will allow you to access more study spaces at a crucial time of the year.
Still need a group study area?
There are still plenty of areas for group study throughout the Library and on Campus. Why not check out our bookable study rooms on the 1st Floor or explore one of the many alternative study areas on campus? Whether you are looking for access to a PC lab or an individual study space, you can find a place that suits your needs.
Keep an eye out for more ways the Library can help you during your exams.
Best of luck!
Your Library Team
Before hatching plans for Easter vacation, make sure you’re prepared. Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
The Easter vacation is fast approaching, and so are changes to our opening hours.
When are we open?
Between Monday 25 March – Wednesday 27 March, we’ll be open at the following times:
We’ll be closed between Thursday 28 March – Tuesday 2 April for the University Easter closure period.
Term time Library opening hours will resume from 08:30 Wednesday 3 April.
When do you need to return your loans?
Loan periods and due dates will not change, so make sure you regularly check your Library account for individual return dates on your books.
Recall notices will be sent to your University email address so keep track, return your materials on time and avoid fines.
Library closed? You can return books 24/7 via the external Book Drop. If you do receive a recall notice and you can’t return the item in person, you can always return them by post.
What are the last collection dates for Off-site Store and Closed Access?
You’ll find the request button on the right of your screen on your PC. For mobile, select from the vertical dots.
Off-site Store and Closed Access collections will not take place during the University closure period, so please submit your requests on time.
What if you’re not on campus?
If you’re away from campus but still want access to a library space, you may be able to do so via the SCONUL access scheme. See Using other libraries for more information about other libraries you may be available to visit.
If you have any questions, please get in touch.
Your Library Team
Explore the collection, or consider donating something yourself.
Are you ever in the Library and wish you could read something that wasn’t part of a reading list? Have you seen something about ‘Recycle UoR Reading’ and wondered what it was about?
Look no further!
‘Recycle UoR Reading’ is a relatively new scheme that was launched in September 2023 to help repurpose surplus Library stock and book donations, making them available to you. The display can be found in the Quiet Study and Holds area on the Ground Floor of the Library and all items are available to our users to take away free of charge. This is a great way to find potential leisure reading, or maybe to help supplement your study material at no cost to you.
Got some items that you would like to donate?
A book donation box can be found near the display where you can deposit any unwanted items. These will be assessed and hopefully added to the display for someone else to enjoy.
Come to the Ground Floor Quiet Study and Holds area and find out more.
Since the launch of the scheme, 440 books have already found new homes, and 90 items have been donated. The selection is refreshed regularly so there will always be some new material on display, so why not drop into the Library and see what’s on offer?
For more information or for any questions about the scheme, please contact Kate Devaney (Collections Services Manager) at k.r.devaney@reading.ac.uk
If you are feeling blue on Blue Monday, why not get together with friends and colleagues over a cuppa for ‘Brew Monday’? You can take advantage of a free regular tea or coffee and a space to talk in the Trilobite (in the Health and Life Sciences building) and Breakfast Box (in Edith Morley) cafes 14:00-15:00 on Monday 15 January.
You can also discover the Library’s collection of books and e-books relating to wellbeing. Starting from a generous donation from the Alumni and Supporter Engagement Team, the collection has been growing ever since. The books can be found in our Wellbeing Collection, on the Ground Floor of the Library in the Quiet Study and Holds area.
We also have a list of the items available, including the e-books that can be borrowed.
The books cover lots of different topics including mindfulness, change, relationships, diet, gardening, emotions, anxiety and student life. 
Students and staff are able to come and borrow any books they’d like to read using their campus cards, or just access the e-books using their University username and password.
If you are a Reading student and you need to talk to someone there’s lots of help and guidance available from the Counselling and Wellbeing Team, whilst staff can access support through the Health and Wellbeing Resources.
Ruth Ng & Karen Drury, Academic Liaison Librarians
We are working to make access to our e-resources as secure as possible. You may start to notice that, if you are on-campus and you go to a resource directly, rather than using a link from one of our catalogues, you’ll no longer be granted automatic access. Instead, you will need to find the institutional login option that appears on most platforms, usually in the top right-hand corner, and follow the steps. This is exactly the same process you use when you are accessing the resource off-campus. If no institutional login option exists, we recommend searching on one of the following, and using the link you’ll find there, which will authenticate you:
If you have any questions or need any help, please contact eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk.
Anne Taylor, E-resources Team
Our visitor policy is changing from the 1 October 2023.
Members of the public who wish to consult printed Library materials which are not available elsewhere, can arrange up to 5 visits to the Library per academic year. All visits must be arranged at least 2 working days in advance (longer notice periods may be required for items held at our Off-site Store or in Closed Access).
If you wish to visit the Library please email library@reading.ac.uk with details of the item(s) that you require, and the dates you would like to consult them.
Further information on our visitor policy, and how to join as an External member, can be found on our website.
If you are looking for access to a study space, then you can join Reading Borough Libraries for free.
Are you a new undergraduate or foundation year student? Then make sure you take our Study Smart online course, which has been specifically designed to help you with the transition to Uni. Join over 1000 UoR students who are already online and getting ahead of their studies.
Study Smart is a free online course which you are expected to take before you arrive. It offers essential insights as to what will be expected of you as a student and you can start your studies with confidence. It can be completed in a few short sessions and has videos, animations and resources covering 3 main areas:
The course will help you to understand how these concepts apply to you and your studies. It also contains vital information on how you’ll be studying, including advice on engaging in seminars, getting the most out of course material and using our digital tools.
You’ll also be able to connect with other students, through the discussion boards. So, join over 1000 students who have already started the course.
If you are a new first year undergraduate student, you should have received an email with a link to the course on 29 August 2023.
If you have any queries or issues accessing Study Smart, please email: studyadvice@reading.ac.uk
You will need to enrol in the coming weeks, after which the course will close. Once you have enrolled you will get access to the resources for your entire time with us.
Some courses and many academic tutors will ask to see your Study Smart certificate in your first term. You will find this in one of the last Steps of the course, so don’t forget to download it – you may need it for your portfolios.
Good luck!
We’d like to wish you a warm welcome from all the staff at the University of Reading Library!
Wondering about how to use the Library and what’s available? We have a variety of events planned for you all week, and information to help you settle in:
New student Libguide
An online guide telling you about the library including useful videos, answers to questions, where to get help and all our welcome week events.
We are running tours Monday – Thursday, every 30 minutes from 10:00 – 15:00. No need to book, just meet in the Library foyer.
We know there’s a lot going on right now! So if you want to just take things slowly, at a time that suits you, we’ve created a self-paced tour for you to go through online. Or you can pick up one of our handy expandable maps in the Library, to take a look around the building yourself. Or check out our Instagram tour.
Come along to find out how the Library can support your studies. We’ll be in the Palmer building room 102 at 15:00 – 15:45 on Tuesday, no need to book.
Find out about the University’s Special Collections and make yourself a badge. In the Library foyer 11:00 – 14:00 on Tuesday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we will have a selection of Mystery Books you can borrow. Library staff have recommended some great reads from our collection. We’ve mixed them up and hidden them in bags, pick one and relax with a book!
On Thursday between 10:00 – 14:00 we will be running a library themed escape game. Come along in a team, or drop by and we will put you into a team. Meet in the Library foyer.
If you join in with anything, don’t forget to let us know on social media! You can find us on Twitter/X, Instagram and YouTube.
Your Library Team
Stay ahead of the term time rush and come and make the most of our final summer vacation Saturday opening.
On Saturday 16 September, we’re open 08:30 – 17:00 and our friendly staff will be on hand all day to answer your questions.
Time to focus in one of our many study spaces
So, if you’d like to enjoy some quality study time, or maybe just browse and explore our resources before the busy autumn term kicks off, this is a date to put in your diary.
Looking for more specific help from a Library professional within your subject area? Visit our online guidance or make an appointment as we won’t be able to deal with specific one-to-one subject enquiries on the day.
Please be aware that the Library Café will not be open and the IT Service Desk will be working on Registration – further information about their service hours can be found on their webpages.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Your Library team
There is currently an issue for some users when accessing the Taylor & Francis eBook platform off-campus. When using our links off-campus, the user may find the platform slow to load, and then aren’t authenticated when they reach it.
This problem does not appear to affect everyone. However, for those that are, OpenAthens (the company who manages our authentication system) have created a temporary solution. To access off-campus, affected users can use this link.
You will be able to login as usual with this link, with your IT username and password. This link will take you to the Taylor & Francis eBook platform, from where you can search for the eBook you wish to access. There may be a slight delay in the search bar appearing.
On-campus access should still work, although it may be a little slower. So when on-campus please access Taylor & Francis eBooks via the usual routes. We have added this alternative link into the A-Z database entry for the platform.
If you affected by this issue, please do contact the E-team at eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk or via our e-resources problem report form. We aren’t sure the cause of the issue currently, so having details of affected users will help us and Taylor and Francis to investigate.
Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
Lindsay Warwick, E-resources Team
During July the Academic Liaison Team will be revamping our subject guides. These are designed to bring together key resources and support tailored for your subject.
To make it easier to find what you need we are moving key information to the homepage of the guide and reducing the number of pages. Each guide will include the following:
Additional pages may be added by your librarian to highlight other relevant resources and guidance. We’re also giving the guides a cosmetic tweak to make them more attractive and ensure they are more mobile friendly.
Students who have reviewed the new design have described it as “compact and clear” and “easier to navigate” and have loved the new big banner. We hope you will like it too!
Please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian if you have any feedback about your new guide.
Jackie Skinner, Academic Liaison Team
