The Sir Duncan Rice Library

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Information

The Sir Duncan Rice Library is a 21st century space for learning and research. It houses the largest of the university's modern collections on Floors 1-7 - including Arts, Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences -  together with historic collections of rare books, manuscripts and archives from our Special Libraries in the Special Collections Centre on the Lower Ground Floor. This purpose-built Centre provides a secure and environmentally regulated home for our precious cultural resources, and includes a Conservation Suite.

The building is open to the wider public, as well as students and university staff, and there are a wide range of facilities for events, including a Gallery for exhibitions and flexible spaces for seminars, presentations, meetings and other educational events. 

There are also informal areas for relaxation and recreation, including the Hardback Café on the Ground Floor and the 'Break-out' Room on Floor 7, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city.

There are over 1,200 study spaces: from traditional silent study rooms to interactive areas for collaborative projects, supported by information technology. The entire buiding is wirelessly networked, and there are also sockets to plug in your own laptop throughout.    

The building was designed by Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen and the design received a rating of 'excellent' in the leading industry measurement of environmental standards, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).