Monday 7 August 2017

Plea for Locker Keys

The recent building work, and subsequent removal of some lockers to a different part of the library, has made us realise just how many of our lockers no longer have their keys - 32 in total!

We're consequently sending out a plea for our readers to check their bags and pockets to see if they've accidentally walked off with any of the keys after emptying the lockers. It's very easily done, so if you do find a key of ours we would be very grateful to have it back (no questions asked!)

If we don't get the keys back, then there is considerable cost involved in not only changing the locks and having new keys cut, but also paying for the labour to get both of those things done! It could easily work out to over £500, which, of course, we would much rather spend on books (or something similarly beneficial for the library.)

Locker numbers 6, 10, 13, 20, 28, 49 and 56 all had personal items in when they were cleared out for the move, so if you used any of those, and would like to return the keys at the same time as picking up your belongings, that would be wonderful.

The other numbers we are missing are:
5
11
16
17
19
23
26
27
31
32
42
43
47
50
52
55
68
70
88
89
93
96
97
100
108

Thank you in advance for all your help!
The Library Team

Tuesday 1 August 2017

Library Lobby Renovations 2!

As you will be aware if you've come to the library today, the lobby renovations have now begun and we have crowded our office into the Numismatics Room. Thank you to everyone who has borne with us as we try to get sorted (despite on-going technical malfunctions with computers, printers and telephones!), especially if you've had to go back and forth between Numismatics and the lobby due to a shortage of lockers.

On that note, however, we have good news!

The building contractors have confirmed to us that part of the lobby will be accessible during the renovation. This means that lifts will still go to the third floor, and the lockers will be placed there as a barrier, so they will still be available to use (provided they have keys - but that is another blog post to come!)

However, you will still have to enter the library through the Numismatics Room because the main doors will definitely be out of bounds. This means that when you exit the lift you should turn right (towards the Ladies' toilets - which should also still be useable!), go through the doors to the staircase, and straight across as if you were heading to Room 349. Then the route is as originally outlined on the new plan we drew up (copies of which are available at the library desk), but there will also be arrows on the wall.

Currently we can confirm that if the lockers in the main lobby are accessible in the morning then they will be for the rest of the day (i.e. nothing will be moved or emptied, and you will be able to collect your belongings at the end of the day). However, if there is some part of the works taking place that mean it is unsafe for the main lobby to be accessed, or equipment is being moved in, we ask that you would please bear with us, and come up via the stairs as originally outlined. Unfortunately we have no way of knowing when this might happen, but will send out notices if we hear of anything.


We have also just found out that, because of the lobby closure, the UCL post will have to be delivered via the library. This will involve two large cages of post coming through Numismatics, History, and Archaeology, then through the doors by the Tract volumes once each day. We are very sorry for any inconvenience and noise caused by this.

If you'd like to make any comments or queries about the works then please do send them to iclass.enquiries@london.ac.uk

Many thanks again for your patience!
The Library Team