The Student Room Group

Quiet place to study in London

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Original post by Nightstar-27
You can just sit in there to do work but you need to register to use their books. You need a card to assess the areas with books but there are areas where everyone can go. So you can just sit in there and use your laptop. Its the London library that you can't enter without membership


Surely the Reading Room is where one would go, but as I know it you need to actually be doing research in order to gain access. Which part can you just go into to study/do your own thing, as it were?
Original post by hatemylife
Surely the Reading Room is where one would go, but as I know it you need to actually be doing research in order to gain access. Which part can you just go into to study/do your own thing, as it were?


When you enter the building, the room you first enter has a café in it and tables all around and these funny stand up work places and there are also bathrooms. Anyone can work there but there are hallways leading away from this area that you need a special card to assess, those areas are the ones with the actual books and you need to be a member to go there.
Original post by hatemylife
Was about to say just this. The British Library isn't like a normal library where you can just sit down and get your laptop out - you usually have to book places after registering, and even then only if you need to access their sources.


But you don't need to book anything, if you have your own books etc. or a laptop just register as using the library for personal use like I did (yes its only for a month but you could also register for academic use for a year just use your student card as proof. They ask you what area you want to use i.e humanities but you can use any of the rooms. They also have seats outside the reading rooms where you can use your laptop though you can use them within the reading rooms!

Yes I understand though you can't take any of the books out but still is a really nice and quiet place to study. And you may have to order the books before going into the library say if you wanted to study in a different area or if the books are offsite. But I used it for the first time last week and it was great, most of the books I wanted were on open access (on the bookshelf)
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by (",)
But you don't need to book anything, if you have your own books etc. or a laptop just register as using the library for personal use like I did (yes its only for a month but you could also register for academic use for a year just use your student card as proof. They ask you what area you want to use i.e humanities but you can use any of the rooms. They also have seats outside the reading rooms where you can use your laptop though you can use them within the reading rooms!

Yes I understand though you can't take any of the books out but still is a really nice and quiet place to study. And you may have to order the books before going into the library say if you wanted to study in a different area or if the books are offsite. But I used it for the first time last week and it was great, most of the books I wanted were on open access (on the bookshelf)



Fair enough, but I think OP wanted to know a library where there are lots of tables and he/she can just sit down and work quietly without being disturbed. Tbh, I'd like to know as well.

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