What's new in the Brotherton Library

New desk lights, better data connections, easier to navigate shelves and more at the Brotherton this term.

With the Brotherton’s West Building now open, you can enjoy all of the improvements to the shelves and study space we’ve made over the last year.

Better study spaces

Study in style with newly installed desk lights and more access to plug sockets in the main Brotherton Reading Room.

There is better wifi connectivity across the Brotherton so you can access the web wherever you are in the building.

This project to bring the Brotherton into the modern day, while maintaining the classic, awe-inspiring look we all know and love, was completed in summer 2021, to mark the building’s 85th birthday.

Sparkling floor

The Reading Room floor received a full polish, returning the parquet to its former glory. All the bay rooms were polished in 2019, so level 3 is now gleaming – an absolute pleasure to walk on.

Easier to navigate bookshelves

Now that the Brotherton’s West Building has re-opened fully, following the improvements to the Special Collections Research Centre, you can enjoy the fruits of the 20 week project to reorganise the subject collections in the West Building.

The project was completed over the summer in 2021 but due to building work, there was limited access to the space.

The reorganisation has taken various scattered book sequences and created a much more logical arrangement, which will make it easier to find items on the shelves. As part of the move, shelves have been scrubbed and space allowed for new purchases, so collections have space to expand in the future. Proper spacing of shelves also makes it much easier to browse and re-shelve returned items.

There is also a new “Awaiting shelving” area close to the lift on West level 2, which is more visible and convenient for recently returned items.

The new locations of the books and journals that have moved are listed in the Library Search records for each of the items and our interactive floorplans have been updated, along with the signage at the end of each of the shelves.

If you have any difficulty locating material in the Brotherton Library, just ask a member of staff who will be very happy to help.