Students who are unable to find a seat in the library could become a thing of the past under a new scheme which would allow students to check online whether there is space in the library and in which rooms the space is situated.
Under the scheme, students will be able to check online both the availability of space in the library and how busy each sector of the library currently is. This will be monitored by a member of staff who will note down the availability of space in each room on an hourly basis.
The idea, proposed by YUSU Academic Officer Daniel Whitmore after consultation with the library, is currently in the planning and development stage. Whitmore proposed the scheme after noting that “many students were unable to find space in the library, yet while the most popular areas such as Harry Fairhurst were continually full, there were other less popular areas of the library that frequently had space.”
One second year politics student told Vision: “This is a fantastic idea and I think it will be really useful, especially when the exam season comes around again. Even though, the library seems to be rammed every day at the moment. Obviously higher fees means people want to really study more.”
In addition, a phone app which would allow students to check library space on their iPhones is also under development with the IT department having recently been given sufficient funding to develop this.
Radical idea. How about more chairs and less pointless open spaces?
A much simpler and cheaper solution to this problem is “tell people that the Raymond Burton exists”. Seriously, I had no problems finding a seat there even in the middle of the summer exam season, but for some reason people aren’t aware of it.
There has seldom been any spaces in the library this term, even during freshers week. This is also not necessarily Dan Whitmore’s brief, so props to him for that. The main problem would seem to be that the university has expanded quite significantly in the past 2 intakes, and has not backed this by increasing study spaces. Yes the refurbishment of the library was fantastic, but on the flip side, other study spaces such as the Derwent reading room and the Brian Blessed centre for quiet study have been removed. Is it not time, with a new college coming in 2014, to consider a library on Heslington East? Or if this is simply about study space, more of it on the main campus?
Surely seat availability is going to change considerably within an hour?
@Isidore of Seville
I agree, and that’s why this scheme will be including a screen in the library foyer with a live map of the library showing which areas are full / less full / empty.
@cynic
I agree completely, study space is now (in my opinion) one of the biggest issues this university now has! There are some plans in motion to build a dedicated quiet study space on Hes East, so watch this space!
@anon
Yeah it is, but this is a step in the right direction! Anything is better than nothing, right? For example, if the library is jam packed at, say, 1pm, you wouldn’t walk in from Tang Hall to work there at half past. It’s partly to save wasted journeys/time I guess.
Shhhh! Those of us who study there want it to stay that way!
Please, PLEASE call the Centre for quiet studies the ‘Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Studies’
Whoever put the downvote/dislike there, let me know why and I’ll see what I can do! ([email protected] / @yusuacademic)
@@Daniel Whitmore, aha very nice. Again, I’ll see what I can do!
Maybe start a petition…