What's new in your Libraries?

Better study spaces, upgraded digital tools and a new home for academic skill support.

We hope you have enjoyed your summer break. While you were away, we’ve been making a few improvements to the Libraries so you can get better support, stronger resources and improved focus in your study spaces.

The Skills Space

September 2025 saw the opening of our new, purpose-designed Skills Space on the ground floor of the Laidlaw Library.

This space brings all our Skills@Library resources under one roof, making it easier for you to find academic and digital skills development, including our popular Writing Space, maths and stats support, one-to-one appointments, drop-in events and our skills book collection. 

You can also drop in for group or individual study, with resources on hand when you need them.

Lean Library is even better

Lean Library is a browser extension that lets you take the entire library collection with you wherever you go. It flags reading material that is in our collections when you're browsing the web, it speeds up access to subscribed resources and it even finds you free open access alternatives to content stuck behind paywalls.

Basically, when it comes to research, it is essential. And it’s about to get better.

Your library account will now get you access to the Lean Library Workspace. This upgrade allows you to automatically save and cite articles used in your research, as well as giving you the ability to annotate and highlight material. You’ll also be able to share notes with collaborators and save your reference library in the cloud.

Follow these easy instructions to install Lean Library now.

Silence is golden

You’ll see new designated silent study spaces around the Libraries. Based on your feedback, these areas are perfect to help you concentrate on work: no noise, no food, no mess. Minimal distractions, maximum focus. 

But don’t worry, you can still chat and have cold food in the group spaces of each library. And while you can’t have hot food in the libraries, cafés and public areas are just a stone’s throw away and can be found using Space Finder.

Makerspace upgrades

We’ve had a bevvy of new tech arrive in our Library Makerspace, located on level 7 of the Edward Boyle Library. We also have more innovation partners, meaning you can get expert help for longer than ever.

Find out more about the Library Makerspace and be sure to sign up for an induction session.

We’re constantly looking for ways to improve your libraries. Follow us on Instagram or join our mailing list to keep up with the latest news, changes and opportunities.