Student led change: the last three years

Building on strength

We were delighted last year to report that a full four years after we first received Customer Service Excellence Standard recognition, our award had been fully reviewed and re-accredited but we have not stood still.  We have continued to work hard to make good our one point of partial compliance, exceed your expectations, and impress our independent assessor in all areas, leveraging the strengths highlighted in the last assessment in empowering staff to “go the extra mile” and reflect the commitment of the Library’s leadership team to embedding improvements to the customer experience across the board.

Creating a warmer welcome in person and online

We have completely refurbished the foyer and its toilets to create a lighter, brighter, more welcoming entrance to the Library.  New entry doors have an intelligent management system that works with a new energy-efficient heater to banish the winter winds and keep the entrance area and Atrium comfortably warm while continuing to support our ambition to act responsibly and sustainably and to become carbon neutral.

You told us that the Library was much larger than any you were used to, so we made getting to know the Library easier with a welcome video, an overview of library services for new students, a redesigned virtual tour and a separate self-guided audio tour.

Reimagining library spaces

We reimagined, refurbished and repositioned the Book Nook, taking a once drafty space beneath the stairs and turning it into a warm, naturally lit relaxing sofa corner nestled next to the Library Café and the attractive Near and Far World Books collection of children’s books in translation.  The leather chairs from the Book Nook found their way up to the first floor, where they replaced ageing furniture to add a touch of luxury and a new conversational cluster.

You told us the existing water fountains were ageing and hard to find.  Staying hydrated is important for your study and wellbeing, so we prioritised replacing them with modern water bottle refill stations in easy-to-find locations, including next to the Library café.

Finding space to spread out and study used to be hard at peak times, so we condensed our collections to create space for naturally lit study spaces and added sound-baffling study pods so you can study with friends without outside distractions.  We also made all the teaching rooms in the library available to you day and night, whenever they are not being actively used for teaching.