By James Lewis, Co Editor-in-Chief
For months, the ASSL – both revered and despised – has been trapped behind orange fences as refurbishment continues. But until recently no reopening date was given.
While Monday 20 October will see access to the library’s print collection restored, the ground floor won’t reopen until 17 November. This delayed reopening has left some students in the lurch and others feeling like the university doesn’t care about humanities students.
A University of Bristol spokesperson said that ‘nearly 1,000 print books were relocated to the Wills Memorial Building’ in anticipation of the disruption. These were chosen based on subject librarian recommendations and analysing borrowing trends from last year. If the book a student wants hasn’t made the cut, a click and collect service can be used – the student must wait before being notified their resource is available from an alternative library.
Some have had no problems. Kashvi Cox, a third year English student, found the service ‘very efficient.’ Alex Boersma, another third year English student, didn’t mind click and collect taking ‘three or four days.’
For others, the process has been less straightforward. Epigram spoke to three students whose books took a week or longer to arrive. Sian Clarke, a third year Ancient History student, described the wait as ‘slightly stressful’ because of looming deadlines and preliminary dissertation work.
A University of Bristol spokesperson told Epigram: ‘we recognise that the closure has caused disruption and apologise to students who have experienced difficulty accessing print materials during this time. We’re grateful for their patience and hope that students will enjoy the improved access to services and support, and the refreshed environment for study and collaboration.’
The £1.8 million spent on this project is focused on the lower floors of the library. Once completed, students will notice that the Library Services Desk and IT Helpdesk are gone. A single desk will be found instead – a Welcome and Enquiries Hub – combining their services. The university say this will ‘make it easier for students to access support quickly and efficiently.’ The café will also be refurbished, and the flooring and lighting are being changed throughout the ground floor.
Elsewhere, money is being spent on a ‘creative lab’ where emerging technology – like podcasting and game design – can be experimented with. Students will also find ‘enhanced silent study areas.’
However, the project’s delay and resulting inconvenience is not easily dismissed by promises of a swankier tomorrow. Sophie Lee, a third year English student, described the click and collect service as ‘the most inconvenient thing’ after she waited a week for her books to arrive.
Since her course is ‘basically just reading’ she’s found the closure has negatively impacted her return to university. One article she wanted to access was behind a paywall, meaning she couldn’t access it.
The university spokesperson told Epigram that an investment of £250,000 has recently been made to widen the eBook resources available to Arts and Social Sciences students, but no further information was given.
The closure has left Sophie feeling dejected by the university, who she feels ‘don’t care about humanities students.’ Meanwhile, Corin Hadley, a third year Chemistry student, has found that the ASSL’s closure has had little impact on returning to his studies.
James Lewis
The long-awaited ASSL reopening is fast approaching. Normal service will be resumed, but then the true test is to come. Whether the £1.8 million investment will be deemed money well spent is to be seen. Or will it be business as usual – but in better lighting?
Featured image: Epigram / James Lewis
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