Edinburgh

Library spaces

Cameron Smail Library

The Edinburgh Campus Library offers a wide variety of great places to study - whether you want to study alone or in a group, in silence or in quiet discussion, during the day or at the evenings and weekends – all students and staff are welcome to visit.

You need to bring your staff/student card, on every visit, to get access through the security gates.  If it is your first visit, press the buzzer and get your card activated at the service desk.

External visitors can apply for access to the library through the SCONUL access scheme or register as an external visitor with the library.  Click here for details of how to contact the Library Service Desk.

Open Seating

There are 950 open study seats throughout the library, you do not need to book these seats.  We offer a variety of types of open seating: tables, pods, lounge chairs - come and find your favourite study spot!

Silent Study

The ground floor and the top floor are dedicated to silent study.  We also have a silent study room on level 2 and 19 bookable individual study rooms.

Group Study

The library has 5 groups study rooms and 6 digital study studios.  The rooms/studios offer large LCD displays and connectivity for your own device. You need to book these rooms.

Accessible Rooms

The library has 4 accessible rooms.  Use of these rooms must be arranged via the Disability Service.

Learning Commons 1 (Hugh Nisbet Building)

The Hugh Nisbet building is open from 06:00 to 00:00.

Staffed Monday - Friday, 11:00 to 15:00. 

Learning Commons 2 (Postgraduate Centre)

Open Monday – Friday, 08:00 to 22:00.

Closed at weekends.

EGIS Resource Centre (Edwin Chadwick)

Open Monday - Friday, 07:00 to 22:00 and at weekends.

Staffed Monday - Friday 10:00 to 16:00.

Book a room

Individual and group study rooms in the library can be booked in advance through Resource Booker. 

Other spaces

The GRID

Open access 08:00 to 00:00.

Staffed: Monday - Friday 11:00 to 15:00.

Card access is required at all times for the computer labs upstairs.

James Watt

  • Semester opening hours:
    • Monday - Friday: 06:00 - 23:00
    • Weekends: 08:00 - 18:00
  • Out of semester opening hours:
    • Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 22:00
    • Weekends: Closed
  • Catering facilities available

Student Union

  • Study in the relaxed atmosphere of the union
  • Offering a mix of seating, bars and catering
  • All areas have wi-fi
  • Bookable committee rooms - see HW Union, room booking for more information.

Crush Areas

  • Located across campus within each School
  • Study and social areas often with vending machines nearby

Central catering areas

  • From cafés to food courts – take your choice.
  • All catering areas have wifi

    See Catering for more information.

Key information

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