21 Years of Craiglockhart campus library

In the summer of 2004 the refurbished Craiglockhart campus was getting ready to re-open. It had acquired a modern extension to cope with increased student numbers. So the library was now housed in the lower floor below the foyer. Controversially the main library area did not have a ceiling. Whilst the works were taking place the book stock and library staff were accommodated at Sighthill campus.  Which would later get its own refurbishment.

Back then at Sighthill the staff offices and library there were quite old-fashioned looking with lots of dark wood. The library desk was not near the book stock; in fact, it wasn’t even on the same floor. Without a lift capable of taking trollies between floors it meant that books had to be loaded into a dumb waiter style lift, sent up to the correct floor, then unloaded from the lift onto another trolley. When it came to packing up the books to move them back to Craiglockhart it was a massive task. Books were packed up in crates in Dewey Decimal number order and journals alphabetically by title, then by date. Crates were then labelled and transported to Craiglockhart.

Craiglockhart campus library

The new Craiglockhart library was very different. There was light coloured metal shelving and large windows making the area seem much brighter. Book and journal stock was held on the same floor as the library desk making returning items to the correct place much easier. Once the stock had been transported back from Sighthill it had to be unpacked and put onto the shelves in the correct order which required a lot of concentration! The crates served as seating for library staff at breaks and lunchtime as the library furniture had not yet arrived.

At the time there were two rows of main book stock which due to the increase in e-book usage and no longer teaching languages have now been reduced to one. Almost all journals stocked were in print format and these were stored in large rolling stacks situated where the collaborative desks are now. It would be a few years before self-service kiosks for issuing and returning books came to the library and even longer until a Click and Collect shelf for requests. Until then if you requested a book and wanted to collect it you had to wait to be served at the library helpdesk.

A few years after returning to Craiglockhart the size of the staff office was reduced to create the quiet room. Low level talking and discussion is allowed here, but it tends to be more of a silent study room.

As time passed and print journal subscriptions moved to electronic ones the rolling stacks became obsolete and collaborative desks were fitted in this space. Over the years computers have been upgraded regularly and Macs were added. The lapsafe provides access to laptops which can be borrowed.

With increased space due to reduced print stock it was possible to create the relaxation space. This is a space to take time out from studies. Books, colouring sheets, games and origami paper are provided.

At the time Craiglockhart library re-opened no-one could have guessed how many changes there would be over the years. Let’s see what the next 21 years brings!

Read more about the changes of Craiglockhart over the years

By Vivienne Hamilton