University Of Sussex Library

Found this library very helpful on a project I was researching. The staff were excellent. The building a trifle seen better days but remains functional. Access a bit limited if you don’t drive. Parking ok. Can be quite hot in the Summer months.

HAHAHA, in my entire 4 years of college, this was the ONLY time I ever CHECKED out anything from the library!
The library was fairly spacious with lots of books and media (yes, videos of all kinds – academics and non-​academic).
When I was there 2 years ago, the system was still fairly outdated. Checking out material consists stamping the book, telling you when the material was due. Unlike the U.S. libraries, 2 years ago, we already had a self-​check out system with a printed receipt, telling you when materials were due.
Nevertheless, everyone was friendly.

The University of Sussex library has done me proud for my Under Graduate degree and is now propping up my Masters degree. It has also just gone through a refurbishment and been given a modernised check in/​check out system. Whether this was really necessary I’m not so sure and the money could have probably been better spent on stocking the shelves.
All this aside, I have found the shelves to be well stocked for all my needs and if you can’t get the book in hard copy there is the electronic library with hundreds of thousands of journal articles at a click of a few buttons. They also have an okay AV selection and you can get some free cheeky movie rentals!
The actual building is from the 60’s plate glass university era and has some interesting architecture. It’s a good building to find a hidden away booth if you want to study without distraction, or there are a number of open plan areas on the first floor for groups (along with power points for laptops) There area number of computer clusters, but they will usually be hotly fought after. Certainly don’t leave it to the last minute if you are wanting to print an essay and use the library machines.
The staff are all very chilled and a number of them are ex students, so can relate to both sides of the bar (so to speak). I think that this is a very well stocked and run library and is certainly the back bone of the university. There is also the Barlow collection of Oriental art housed within and I would recommend checking it out on the days it’s open.

As libraries go, the one on Sussex University campus is a very good example of how to do it right. The book selection is extremely impressive: even if they don’t have one particular book you may be looking for, their wide selection is great for any student looking for books on niche subjects. In the age of the Internet, the time for libraries is fading, although it’s great to have somewhere as good as this available for students in the transition period!
The obvious problem: if you aren’t a student, this is all rather academic (ha-​hah!), as you can’t access the library without a student card. Also, it’s often a bit busy, and there are few things more obnoxious than a stressed student. Still, if you’re a student, you have a great resource to hand here: don’t let it go to waste!

We have all been to a library, so I don’t really need to give you a description of the function, but instead the content.
The library is relatively large, offering enough seating and computers for more students then would ever come at once. For those bringing their own computer, the university has a free wi-​fi that can be accessed throughout the library.
Current refurbishments mean that if you’re coming here next year, you’ll find an extremely modern and quick service, as well as a wide collection of course textbooks.

Sir Basil Spence, the post-​modern Architect commissioned to design the whole of Sussex Universities campus apparently attempted to make each building’s design reflect it’s usage. So of course the Sussex University Library is meant to look like an open book. Nice. But if you’ve ever actually been to the Library (I spent quite alot of three years their) it looks to be honest nothing of the sort. Ah well.
Inside, the 60’s décor and open plan feeling give it an unmistakably sussexy, liberal vibe and the books match this. As an Historian, one of Sussex’s trump cards is the collection of the Mass Observation questionaires, completed by the public from after the second world war. These first person records are a unique opportunity to see societies reaction to an ever changing world, and if you are writing a dissertation are rich in original ideas.
Other than that the general Historical collection seemed pretty well stocked, however friends in different departments such as development complained that often books weren’t available. Also a great place to just hang out with some ridiculously big windows giving wide vistas over the downs or campus (good for spying of people).

For a large University library, the Sussex library is not great– at least not for humanities subjects– not many new books are bought in each year, popular books are only ever stocked in small numbers despite demand and missing books can stay missing for a long time before being replaced. I hear it’s great for development studies and psychology though, so it varies from subject to subject. It does have a large number of computers to work on, friendly staff and three floors with desks dotted all over. Unfortunately, if you want true silence you have to head to one of the silent zones, as ridiculously there is no real policy against cell phones or talking in the majority of the library. Also, I would love it they actually put some toilets in the library so that you don’t have to go through the barriers every time you need to pee! Non-​students can get a year’s membership for about forty pounds– great if wanted to do some independent research.

The University of Sussex library boasts a huge collection of books, films and archival material, covering an exceptionally broad and diverse range of subjects. Items are well categorised and generally easy to find. There’s computers inside which can be used for work, surfing the internet, and searching the library catalogue, and there’s self-​service machines, which allow library users to return and withdrawal books with relative ease. As well as the aforementioned, this library also holds numerous special collections of international importance, including the papers of Rudyard Kipling, the Monks House Papers, the Mass Observation Archive, and numerous other significant documents.

It feels as if I am being a little biased when reviewing the university’s facilities, but believe me, I wouldn’t be doing it if they weren’t worth reviewing. I may be a Sussex alumnus, but this means I have experienced the university as a business and gained experience of its day-​to-​day workings, not just read about it in a UCAS review, or the Sussex prospectus.
It wasn’t until I left the university that I realised how good the library was. A huge building that dominates the aptly-​named Library Square, this is a real haven for intellectual stimulation. There is a huge selection of books, which are well maintained and systematically organised, making them easy to find: something particularly useful when you’re pushing a deadline.
If you’re a student and need somewhere to work then I suggest head down to the library. Even if you’re the world’s biggest procrastinator like me, you’ll find it hard not to be inspired by this 40-​something year-​old building: it even smells like academia! Use it while you can; you’ll miss it when you leave.