Students studying in the library
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    July 16, 2026

Library Extends to 24-Hour Opening

The university library has extended to twenty-four hour opening during term time, following a sustained campaign by the students union and a year-long trial that proved overwhelmingly popular.

The change means the reading rooms, group study spaces and full digital collection are now available at any hour — a particular help during assessment periods and for the growing number of students who study around work or caring responsibilities.

What round-the-clock access changes
The library reading room late in the evening
The reading rooms now stay open through the night in term time.

The extended hours come with the support to make them genuinely usable:

  • Staffed reception and security through the night
  • Bookable group rooms available at any hour
  • A dedicated silent-study floor for focused work
  • Lit routes and a walk-home service across campus until 2am

The 24-hour library came from a union campaign. It is the clearest example we have that when students ask for something sensible here, the university actually listens.

Priya Raghavan, Students Union President

The university has committed to keeping the extended hours permanently, and is reviewing whether the same model could be extended to the sports centre and selected study cafes.

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