Investing in the student experience
The University of Leeds has been investing to enhance the student learning experience and other aspects of student life - the quality of the campus, the accommodation and the environment.
Group study has become an important part of student education, but there are not many places where they can work together in groups, so flexible study space is always in demand. With so much need for private study space where students can work together, the University provides study rooms for groups of up to ten people. They are usually full, so they can be booked in advance. Some of the rooms have an IT infrastructure that allows several laptops to be linked to one screen.
The Laidlaw Library uses the Telepen Juno Room Booking System which allows students to book the rooms they need directly. The system has small wall boxes located by the entrance to each study room, and students can book online or at the entrance to the room. Students can book slots of two hours at a time and they can book particular periods. They are emailed a PIN, which secures their booking and allows them to enter.
Hazel Lee, Customer Services Team Leader at the University of Leeds Library, says: “The boxes are very neat, and they blend in well with the mood and feel of the modern library. We sit at the enquiry desk, and can glance across and see the display showing the red, amber and green doors, so we know if the rooms are occupied, without having to leave the desk. Students like the system.
The Telepen Juno Room Booking System is shortly to be installed in another library within the University - the Edward Boyle Library, which has 25 bookable rooms.