Study Areas

Library Tower

Head to the Library Tower if you are looking for a quiet space to read, work on projects, or access PCs and study space.

The Library is a great place to find peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Campus. It’s a good spot to settle down to some serious individual study so we ask for voices to be kept low and chat to a minimum. If it gets noisy, the library staff will have a quick word – just let them know.

When visiting the Library we do still have a few Covid rules in place. Face coverings are encouraged (unless exempt), and please show consideration for any ‘Distance Aware’ badge wearers.

We are currently trialing drinks and cold food being allowed in the library, just take care not to spill!

Remember to keep your phone or other devices on silent and the volume on your headphones turned down low.

Georgina Scott Sutherland Learning Centre

The Library is set up as a quiet and individual study space but the Georgina Scott Sutherland Learning Centre, located in the Aberdeen Business School building, offers a more relaxed environment. It is managed by the Student Union and has a mixture of individual workspaces, PCs, group spaces and bookable project pods and rooms. Please visit the Student Union website for more information.

Zoom and Teams in the Library

If you need to attend a lecture on Zoom, Teams or any other platform, then please consider your level of participation before using a desk in the open spaces in the Library.

If your level of participation requires you to listen only and not speak then you're welcome to use a library desk to attend the lecture. Please ensure you're using headphones so as not to disturb other students.

If you're attending a lecture, meeting or tutorial where you'll need to speak then the Library open desks are not suitable. The whole of the Library is a quiet space and we don't permit the use of mobile phones. Speaking on a Zoom or Teams call is considered very similar to mobile phone usage in terms of noise. Rooms in the Student Union or the communal areas of buildings such as canteens will be more suited to your purpose.

Books and Journals

We have a large collection of printed books and journals which you can access from the Library. When you come to the Library Tower you will notice that each level is dedicated to particular subjects, to make things easier to find and keep organised.

Library Plan

Borrowing / Returning

Borrowing books is easy. You can either come to the Library and browse the shelves or you can place a hold using Library Search. We'll notify you when the items are ready to collect.

Once you've chosen your book off the shelves or picked it up from our reception desk, just take it to one of the self-issue machines on Level 5, scan your student card and then the book. If you have several items which you would like to check out, put them all in. You will have the option of printing a receipt or having one emailed to you. This will confirm that the items have been checked out by you and the date they are due back. Don't worry if you lose the receipt, everything is synced with your Library account which you can check at any time. Log in with your normal RGU username and password.

To return books you can drop your items off at the Returns slot when you come into the Library. It's located just to the left of the entrance door. Pop your items in one at a time to have them removed from your Library account. If you're not coming up to the Library there's also a drop-box available in the foyer of the Sir Ian Wood Building from 0700-2300 Monday to Friday and 0900-2100 Saturday & Sunday.

Renewing

Do you need to keep an item longer than its original due back date? No problem!

Unfortunately you will not be able to renew items that have been requested by someone else. We will always let you know, via your RGU email, if any of your loans have been recalled.

Finding Stuff

Searching the Library Collections

So you want to find a book or a journal? The first place to go is LibrarySearch! This is where you will find valuable information about books and journals which we have on shelves, such as the level and shelf number so you can track down the items easily. Can't find something? Don't worry, we have library assistants on each level and they would be happy to help.

Remember that not everything in the catalogue exists on our shelves as printed copies. We have an extensive collection of e-books and e-journals which are freely available for students to access in a few clicks.

LibrarySearch is not only about finding stuff, you can also log in to your account, see what items you have on loan, place a hold on something you really need but is already borrowed, renew items and more!

Referencing at RGU

Referencing is a critical aspect of writing any assignment and you will be asked to correctly reference all the sources and materials used in your work.

At RGU we use two main referencing styles, RGU Harvard and RGU Vancouver. The referencing style is depending on what your course requires, but Harvard is the most used.

We know referencing can be scary at first, especially if you haven't done it before, but not to worry! We are here to help with every aspect of referencing and have developed detailed guides for both styles.

Related Links

How The Library Can Help You

Library KnowHOW Workshops

We organise various informal sessions throughout the year, covering skills like SearchSMART (Finding Information), Harvard Referencing, Using RefWorks and Research Workshops.

Where? Online via BlackBoard Collaborate

Signing up is easy using our online timetable. We are looking forward to seeing you in one of our classes!

Online Support

We are here to help you even when you are away from campus. We can offer support via telephone, email or Facebook Messenger. Please see our contact details below:

You can also send us messages and queries on Facebook and we will answer as soon as possible during our office hours:

Related Links

Printing and Binding

How Do I Add Money to My Account?

You can either use the printing kiosks which you can find around the campus (the closest one to the Library is situated on Level 3 of the Sir Ian Wood Building, just on the main corridor), or top up online at https://myprint.rgu.ac.uk

How Much Does it Cost?

There are different charges depending on the page size, whether you print black & white or double / single sided. Please be careful when you send the document to the printer, and select black & white to save yourself some money. If you have some pages in colour, you can choose to print only those in colour and the rest in black & white. Otherwise, if you select 'colour' for the entire document, you will be charged as if every page is printed in colour.

How Do I Print?

First make sure you send any print jobs to PrintAtRGU, then go to any printer, scan your student card and select your document(s) then 'Print' or 'Print all'.

Binding

At some point during your time as a student you will be asked to print and bind assignments for submission. This usually happens for dissertations, but might be applicable for various other projects as well. We provide access to binding equipment and sell materials (contactless payments only please), just come to the Library and enquire at the Main Reception Desk on Level 5.

Library Opening Hours

*** Semester hours are currently in effect ***

In line with Scottish Government advice, the University does recommend the use of face coverings in busy or crowded areas. Please show consideration for any ‘Distance Aware’ badge wearers.