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Where have all the silent study spaces gone?

This summer, Level 1 of the Library was extensively refurbished, creating expanded group and silent study areas, two additional rooms for disabled and dyslexic students, and more than 80 extra study spaces overall.

Overall, the refurbishment has proved very popular with our users. Over 70% think it’s a big improvement.

Yellow post it note reads, "Well, I actually love the new renovation." Smiley face.

However, not all of our users are happy. In particular, some students have asked: where have all the silent study spaces gone?

Yellow post it note that reads, "I use most silent study areas. But now it does not exist any longer, especially with computers available. The whole library has become very noisy like a hang out place."

The refurbishment has radically changed the layout of the Library. Whereas before, Levels 3 and 4 were silent and the group study area was located at the far end of Level 1, the new layout reverses this.

The group study area is the first thing you see when you emerge from the lift or stairs on Level 1.

Photo of the first floor entrance to the Library showing a comfortable, informal group study area.

It continues through the arches to the Malet Street side of the building.

Photo of a mixed group of students working in one of the many study spaces in the Library.

But where has the silent study area gone?

The new location of the group study area means that the upper floors cannot always be totally silent, since at busy times some noise will travel upstairs. Levels 2, 3 and 4 are now designated for ‘individual study,’ although in practice they are usually extremely quiet.

The new silent study area is actually on Level 1 and begins through the double doors which lead off the group study area on the Malet Street side.

Photo of a black male student working in one of the silent study areas in the Library.

If you walk down this corridor, passing the Accessibility Centre and doors leading to the toilets and the Phone Zone, you will find Room 107, which has computers for silent working.

Then, on the left through the glass link, is another silent room with computers.

Finally, at the far end of Level 1, you will find the main new silent area.

Photo of one of the silent study areas in the Library.
An asian woman student works at her laptop in one of the silent study areas of the Library.

There are more seats upstairs on the Mezzanine.

Two white male students work at separate desks in one of the silent study areas of the Library.
An asian man works at one of the silent study areas of the Library.

We thought deeply about zoning when we planned the refurbishment and worked with the Students’ Union and our Student-Library Partnership to ensure it reflected their preference for a range different study environments. Overall, we think that the new layout is more logical, with a busy and bustling area at the start of Level 1 and a secluded and silent one at the back. However, we realise that, for returning students in particular, it may take a little time to get used to.

There are actually more silent study spaces in the refurbished Library than there were before: you just have to know where to look!

A blue post it note saying, "Love it!!! Well done."
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What makes a library?

Library refurbishments can sometimes seem like a simple trade-off between stacks of books and rows of seats, with the latter increasingly trumping the former. As we have prepared for our own summer works, some staff (although hardly any students) have expressed the concern that we are betraying our core mission by reducing our on-site book stock in order to create more study spaces.

Space has certainly been a big driver for this refurbishment. During the last few years, and in line with the rest of the sector, the use of our printed books and journals has declined steadily as more information is supplied digitally: our users borrow 46% fewer books than they did ten years ago. However, during the same period, library visits have gone up and a greater number of students than ever are choosing to spend time here, either to read, write or work collaboratively. This has meant that the we are often full to capacity – and at busy times of the year there are literally no free seats available. Moving some of our lesser-used volumes to a nearby location seems a reasonable solution to this problem. The first phase of the refurbishment will increase the number of study spaces in the Library by about 15%.

Photo of a white woman working at one of the many computers in the LIbrary.
Birkbeck University Library

But there is a broader vision behind the refurbishment: the creation of a space which reflects the Library’s evolving role within Birkbeck. That role includes, but is not confined to, the provision of information resources, and encompasses many other services which add value to the institution and the student experience.

The project will create a physical environment which better supports current teaching and learning practice at our university. IT facilities for the delivery of digital education will be central to the newly designed space. There will be an expanded group study area with bookable pods for collaborative working as well as enhanced zones for individual and silent study with booths and softer seating. We are also exploring the possibility of incorporating a separate room for research postgraduates in the future. We want a space in which different levels and styles of learning – blended learning, project work, traditional text-based research – can all take place under the same roof.

We are building two additional study support rooms for disabled and dyslexic students, and further improvements are planned for our popular Accessibility Centre. The refurbished Library will better reflect the diversity of our students.

Photo of a mixed group of students have a discussion in one of the Library's study pods.

There will be a new training room: a modern, flexible space in which Library staff will deliver workshops on subjects such as research skills, information literacy and data management. Increasingly, we provide training as part of College-wide programmes and we will invite other student support services such as Study Skills, Birkbeck Futures and the Birkbeck Graduate Research School to share this teaching facility. The refurbished Library will become a hub for skills support.

Finally, this theme of collaborative working will also be reflected in a new single helpdesk where Library and ITS staff will work alongside each other. Students will receive a more joined-up service and the Library will become a place that students and staff can visit for an even wider range of support and advice.

Photo of two black women cheerfully discussing a document that one is holding. They are in one of the comfortable areas of the Library.
Birkbeck University Library

So, the project is about more than just books and study spaces. It will establish the Library as a key location for learning, teaching and research at Birkbeck. It will enhance the student experience and support efforts to improve retention and achievement. The refurbishment will ensure that our physical space reflects the reality of our role as a modern academic library.