Swipe in, swipe out

You will need to use your University ID card to swipe out when exiting the Laidlaw and Edward Boyle Libraries from Wednesday 31 August.

We’re upgrading the card swipe technology in the turnstiles in both the Laidlaw and Edward Boyle Libraires. This means from Wednesday 31 August, you will need to use your Student or staff card to exit these libraries, along with entering them. You should keep your card on you at all times.

The updated technology on our turnstiles can read the barcodes on your ID more easily which means that swiping in and out should be a much quicker process than before.

Improvements to Library services

Information on when you swipe in and swipe out will allow us to plan our services and opening hours more effectively with a focus on providing a better experience for you when you use the Libraries. Wait times to speak to staff will be reduced and we will also have more staff on hand to patrol the buildings to make sure there are no distractions when you study.

At the moment we have very limited information with entry data and crude headcounts to understand how full we are. We have no way of knowing how patterns change. The new set of data will allow us to see more clearly the patterns of usage, aggregated across broad cohorts, such as year group, and so plan our services accordingly.

We haven’t introduced this technology at Health Sciences or Brotherton Libraries for now so you don’t need to swipe out when leaving these buildings. Following a pilot period at Edward Boyle and Laidlaw, we may look to upgrade these barriers, but we will share this information ahead of time.