LATEST NEWS
What’s new………..................................................Monday 1 March 2010
On Saturday 27 February the hoarding on the North side of the Issue Hall was taken down. Until the evening of Friday 5 March members will be able to see both the existing South side of the Issue Hall and the new space. From Saturday 6 March members will have full use of the new Mason’s Yard entrance, 70 new lockers of varying sizes and improved facilities for coats. This phase of works also delivers a re-instated counter and gallery on the North side of the Issue Hall which restores the original configuration of the room. The counter will become a new Enquiry Desk and a much needed workroom for Reader Services staff is housed neatly behind it.
Saturday 6 March - Hoarding goes up on the South side of the Issue Hall
On Saturday 6 March new hoarding will be constructed over the South side of the Issue Hall including the St James’s Square entrance.From Saturday 6 March until mid June access to the Library will be via the Mason’s Yard entrance only. This is to allow refurbishment to the South side of the Issue Hall. The work will include the renovation of the existing timber gallery and book shelves; restoration of the plaster columns, ceiling and beam casings; opening up the main stair to the Issue Hall, (as originally designed); a new Membership Office and a more open and welcoming Reception area. While the work takes place normal service continues from the counter on the North side of the Issue Hall.
A map showing the route to the new Mason’s Yard entrance is available from the Reception and the Issue Hall or can be downloaded here.(Map.pdf)
Thank you for your patience while entry arrangements are temporarily altered. If you require assistance or need further information please speak to a member of staff at the Issue Desk who will be happy to help.
New lightwell reading room, united periodicals collection and basement toilets open
The new Lightwell Reading Room, united Periodicals collection and Basement toilets are now open to members. The Lightwell Reading Room contains 10 new reader desks providing Wi-Fi access and power for laptop users, individual task lights, and quick and easy access to the Library’s periodicals collection. The Basement now houses the entire periodicals collection brought together for the first time on a single floor. A complete printed list of all periodicals held by the Library, by title and size, will soon be available for use. The Basement and Lightwell Reading Room will be easily accessible by lift by pressing the lift button B. The basement toilets include a disabled toilet and were designed by the artist Martin Creed.
Art Room Opens
We are pleased to announce that the new Art Room is now open. On two levels, it is accessible from the stairs adjacent to the Catalogue Hall and from the landing below the Reading Rooms on the first floor. Staff at the Issue Desk will be happy to explain the layout of the shelves and provide printed guidance.
The Art Room also provides an additional four reader spaces in the gallery area.
Lift and Central Stair
We are delighted to announce the re-opening of the Library lift. It may be used to reach The Times Room and TS Eliot House basement (lift button UB) and all floors from Ground to 6. The Basement (lift button B) with the new Lightwell Reading Room, toilets and the Art Room (lift button GA) will be accessible to members following the move of the Art collection in January.
The Central stair may also now be used from the Ground floor to the 6th. This stair joins the old secondary stair at 2nd floor level, and provides direct access to Literature, Fiction, Biography, Religion etc. without the need to take the original staircase from the Issue Hall and walk across the building.
Hoarding in the Issue Hall
Work has begun in the space behind the hoarding in the Issue Hall on a new accessible entrance for members from Mason’s Yard; the provision of 70 new member lockers, and much improved and extended cloakroom provision. This area will also provide a new Enquiries counter and a much needed workroom for the Reader Services Department. It is anticipated that this will take 3 months and involves predominately non heavy impact fit-out works.
Phase 2 completion approaching
Very shortly the following facilities will be ready for members to use:
- New enlarged wheelchair accessible lift which will serve the Basement to Floor 6 as before, but will make additional stops at the level of the Times Room and the newly-refurbished Art Room
- The re-furbished Art Room (books to move in in early January)
- 10 new reader spaces in the Lightwell Reading Room in the Basement
- 4 new reader spaces on the Art Room Gallery, 4 on the Mezzanine floor and 5 dotted around the Basement
- Extended central staircase from Basement to 6th Floor
- Direct access to TS Eliot House on 5 levels
- Rolling racking in the Basement to house bound periodical volumes
- New toilets in the Basement: Gentlemen’s, Ladies and wheelchair accessible
In addition some extra facilities beyond those originally planned are now available:
The Prevost Reading Room. This room, beside the lift on the 1st Floor, was originally the trustees’ meeting room. It has been converted for members’ use and offers 15 additional WIFI-enabled reader spaces and is proving popular. The first floor of the Library is now a “reading room floor”.
An extended Catalogue Hall with more space for catalogue terminals and the Guard Books, and an overhead digital scanner for members’ use, replacing one of the photocopiers.
Book moves
We are now planning the complicated book moves which will follow once we have access to the new shelving, and these moves will take place during January. The Art books will be moved into the re-furbished Art Room during the week beginning 4th January. The books will remain fully accessible in the Basement until the book move starts. The move will take 4-5 days. Moving the periodicals from the upper levels of the Back Stacks into the Basement will take longer, but when complete will enable us to re-unite displaced parts of the History and Science & Miscellaneous collections, and provide much-needed space for their expansion.
TIMES ROOM
The Times Room in its new location opened to members on Monday 11 May 2009.
The Times Room is now fully accessible by lift. It has purpose designed lecterns for easy consultation of materials.
Times Room
