Work has begun on a new state-of-the-art library at the University of Leeds.
The £26m landmark building will be among the most modern academic libraries in the UK and underlines the University's commitment to the continuous improvement of its facilities.
The four-story building has been designed to cater for different types of studying - silent study, group work and individual research. The new library will have 1000 study spaces, two training rooms and a café, with space for over 5 kilometres of shelving to accommodate core textbooks.
The new library development has been led by Dr Stella Butler, the University’s Librarian. She said: “The new library will be ready for students in early 2015 and will provide them with state-of-the-art study facilities.
"This will be a building in which they will want to learn and engage with both their subjects and their peers, with an informal atmosphere and group study rooms providing an ideal location for collaborative, project-based learning. This development demonstrates our commitment to creating a world-class campus and providing the best possible opportunities for our students to achieve their full potential.”
The IT-rich facility will also provide 170 fixed PCs and support the growing use of laptops and tablets, with many study spaces, power points and Wi-Fi access which will be available throughout the building.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday, marking the formal start of the building, which is scheduled to be completed early in 2015.
Professor Michael Arthur, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “The University of Leeds already has one of the best academic libraries in the country and the addition of the new undergraduate library will further enhance that. This is a major investment which will ensure that the University continues to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students and world-class facilities for our staff.”
The library is the first city-fronting building that the University has commissioned for over 30 years and will have entrances on Woodhouse Lane and Hillary Place. It has been designed to complement its surroundings, incorporating a Portland stone finish that echoes the University’s iconic Parkinson Building.
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