One Thing to know about UCD Library in 2024
Who are you guys?
UCD Library is welcoming and friendly, with an expert team offering the UCD community a range of library and information services that are continuing to grow all the time.
We have five library sites across the UCD campus, including one at the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Blackrock, and we are always busy: last year there were more than 1.2 million visits in person!
UCD Library is also the home for world class heritage collections, including UCD Archives, Special Collections, and the National Folklore Collection. And because we are at the forefront of digital developments, our work is literally never done – we provide essential e-books, journal access and much more to faculty and students wherever they are, 24/7.
Where do you fit in in the broader UCD picture?
We see ourselves at the heart of campus life, bringing people, services and ideas together – a centre for the entire UCD community. We support teaching and learning, research, and wider engagement, and help to deliver the University’s strategy.
We are passionate about supporting UCD’s commitment to providing a great student experience and to becoming more accessible and inclusive. As we continue to grow and evolve what we do, and create enhanced spaces, we are also putting a lot of emphasis on consultation and partnership with everyone in UCD.
What would you like to make your colleagues aware of coming into 2024?
We’re very excited about what 2024 has in store for UCD Library. In 2023 we saw the opening of the transformed Level 3 in the James Joyce Library, with 535 student spaces in a beautiful light-filled setting.
And that’s just the beginning! We are working with our colleagues in UCD Estates Services and architects HLM on the design which will transform Level 1 and 2 of the JJL, and make the entrance more welcoming and easy to navigate, create a new Cultural Heritage Centre, and enhance the student experience. It’s a big project, and we are so grateful for all the support, advice and enthusiasm from our University colleagues.
Written by Dr Sandra Collins and the Library Team
