EEE Library to close at the end of term

The Electrical and Electronic Engineering library, one of only a handful of departmental libraries remaining in the South Ken Campus, will be turned into a study space over the course of the summer. Departmental Facilities Manager for the EEE department, Andy Paice told felix that following consultations with the students and as part of a larger development taking place at the EEE building the teaching office will be moving where the EEE library currently resides, and the vacant space will be turned into a study area.

According to Angela Goldfinch, EEE liaison librarian departmental libraries were gradually absorbed into Central Library over a prolonged period of time. Library spaces within the Faculty of Engineering were closed/redeveloped back in 2009 with the agreement of the Faculty. Where agreed, physical stock (books, journals, etc) was absorbed into the Central Library collection and subject support staff moved into Central Library (but were still accessible to students and staff). The departments then redeveloped the spaces including the provision of student study space.

In the case of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the Department opted to retain the Library stock as a reference collection for staff/researchers. They redeveloped the space to provide study areas for taught students, and also for staff/researchers (restricted access). The space is still called the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Library but is more a study space rather than a working library and is a department space.

As Paice puts it “the actual library closed six years ago.” Paice says no one is taking any books out and when student representatives were asked whether the library should be kept as, is they declined, opting for a new and improved study space instead.

The last departmental library on the South Kensington campus belongs to Civil Engineering. The Department took over management of the existing library (retaining their stock) and so provides an additional library facility to their staff and students (which complements Central Library resources/services). The only other such libraries are those attached to the medical campuses and Silwood Park.