The library facilities at Headingley campus

Ground floor

So, the library at Headingley campus is based in the James Graham building. It is huge and has a lot of facilities on all floors. The ground floor is the main computer space where there are lots of computers to sit and work at, as well as tables for group work, or using laptops etc. There is also the resource centre where you can borrow headphones and cables if you don’t have them or forget them on the day. There is also an IT help desk with staff who are always there to help you, even for things like when you can’t get a computer to turn on – then they show you that you’ve turned it off at the plug…been there, done that. I see this part of the library as the main section, where all the hustle and bustle and staffed information stands are.

Silent study and meeting rooms

If like me, you need to be in solitary confinement with no noise, no friends and no distractions to actually get any work done, the first floor is quieter with a big central space with all the books in (I mean like, loads of books) and computer/laptop stations can be found there too. This isn’t a completely silent floor, but it is a lot quieter than downstairs. This floor also has the silent study rooms where I go if I really need to concentrate on something in total silence. We also have printer rooms and student meeting rooms on the first floor. I use the student meeting rooms regularly as my course has lots of group work projects and these are a really good space where we can book the room out and have full use of the screen and whiteboard that’s in there. I always find that we have really productive hours on group work and it makes it easier if we are in a private room, especially when you need to practice presentations! These rooms are very easy to book though the Leeds Beckett library website.

The inside knowledge

There is also another computer room on the second floor that I still find some of my friends have never been to because I think a lot of people don’t actually know it’s there! It's just another big computer room that is quieter than downstairs, so again very useful to get group work done in or to take yourself away from distractions to get that essay written.

Social study

The library is part of any university experience and can actually be quite a social space. There have been many times where I see friends in there that I never bump into otherwise as we have different timetables. I also have friends that I have made from just being in the library at the same time as them, each week and you often go from sitting with earphones in to telling them about your tragedy of a love life because each week slowly you’ve made some chat that moved on from the initial ‘would you mind watching my stuff while I go print this out’ to ‘omg stop what you’re doing, I’ve got some major gossip for you’.

Overall, the facilities at Beckett are fab and there is such a range. I find it really easy to be on campus all day and be able to get productive work done, then go and socialise for a break, eat some good food and even go to the gym or just for a walk. You can do all of this on campus without having to think about going home. As I said, the library is a big part of university life, but also a very important part of any university experience because to get your degree you do still have to work, sadly it’s not all partying and adventuring. But because of the quality of Beckett’s library is so good, it makes this work easy and a lot more pleasant. Our facilities are great, and you should definitely try to go and find the top floor library that no one knows where it is!