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With UCD’s most important study space set to be under construction for the year, News Editor Benjamin Floyd gives the rundown on what is to be expected.
Level 1 and Level 2 of the James Joyce Library will undergo extensive renovation this academic year as part of the UCD Library Capital Development Project. All renovations are scheduled for completion by August 2027; changes in access to various library zones are to be anticipated throughout the year.
University Librarian Sandra Collins has announced this development as the “most ambitious project since the Library was constructed in the 1970s and 1980s”, with the improvements “designed to meet the 21st century needs of students and researchers.”
Renovation on Level 2 will be completed throughout the year in zoned stages to maintain partial access to services and study spaces, according to the UCD Library Unit. Currently, the lakeside half of Level 2 remains open for use; the back half, which extends towards the Belgrove Residences, is closed. The entirety of Level 2 will be closed from Sept. 28 until Oct. 19, during which time a retrieval process for all Level 2 collections will be in place. Level 2 will partially reopen following this period, with closures affecting the lakeside area until June 2027. Bookable seats on Level 2 will be unavailable from Sept. 28 until all renovations are complete.
Level 2 will have a new digital content suite and individual sensory study rooms, as well as an overall improvement of study spaces and facilities in a similar fashion to Level 3. When completed in August 2027, Level 2 will have more than 1,300 student study spaces, greatly increasing the library’s current total capacity of 2,000 seats.
As for Level 1, the lakeside half remains open for the entire duration of the project, with the area behind the main escalator currently closed. This area will reopen on a phased basis from January 2027, with full access available in March 2027. Students will soon avail of UCD’s new Cultural Heritage Centre, which will house UCD’s Cultural Heritage repositories, National Folklore Collection, archives, and other special collections. The renovation will also introduce a new conservation lab and digitisation studios to Level 1. Levels 3 and 4 are to remain open during renovation.
On the UCD Library Project webpage, the UCD Library Services noted that “a certain level of disruption will be inevitable” per the nature of the renovation. In anticipation of this, construction will cease from Nov. 30 to Dec. 20 to accommodate revision week and the exam period. Noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs are available to borrow from the information desk on Level 1.
The UCD Students’ Union (SU) is working with the library throughout this process to ensure that students are receiving the resources they need. One of their stated current objectives is to extend opening hours and security in specific buildings around campus to provide students with more after-hours study spaces. Dedicated study sessions, called “Focus Hub,” will also be held weekly by student advisers throughout the year as a means of creating more dedicated study spaces, reports the SU. Further study sessions will be held by SU Sabbats during key exam times. More information will be provided by the SU as the semester progresses.
As a result of these factors, students should prepare for busy conditions in UCD’s largest library, especially during the semester’s most critical weeks. Students would do well to utilise UCD’s four other libraries—Health Science, Veterinary Medicine, Richview, and Blackrock—as well as alternative campus study spaces, such as the newly introduced O’Connor Centre for Learning. Updates and more information can be found on the UCD Library Capital Development Project webpage; the Level 1 information desk remains available for help with inquiries and requests from the collection. Further resources include the UCD Library Availability Dashboard, as well as the SU office.