After being closed all summer for major refurbishment, the Book Library reopened on 1st October, 2007 and has been receiving universally positive feedback. The Library is now more user-friendly, spacious, and modernised and allows readers to make the most of this vital space. The majority of the books have been relocated to the basement floor and arranged in a continuous sequence. A ramp has also been added to ensure that the entire basement floor is wheelchair accessible. In order to provide a more pleasant working environment, ceiling fans have been added to improve ventilation, the whole space has been repainted and redecorated, and the brickwork has been sealed. An extra twenty wirelessly networked study spaces have been created in order to accommodate increasing numbers of laptop users and seating has been concentrated in daylight areas.

In addition to making physical improvements to the space, Book Library staff used the summer closure as an opportunity to migrate to our own installation of the library management system, Aleph. This allows us to have greater control over our working practices and participate fully in international collaborative catalogues.

Antony Hopkins
Kilfinan Librarian, Head of Libraries, Image Services & IT