(1) The Seeley Historical Library

It might be cheating a little bit to start with one of the few libraries that I do regularly visit, but I needed a lot of books, so it made sense to base myself here for the rest of the Saturday afternoon after Ely (aka the post-Ely Seeley, which is far more fun to say than it is to do). I'll start getting more adventurous soon, I promise!

Glass and bricks

Once compared to a panopticon prison during a lecture on nineteenth century crime and punishment, the Seeley is often accused of being too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer, and too ruthless with their library fines to risk borrowing anything.

Bricks and glass

From the outside, the history faculty is a perfect example of why there should have been a limitation on the use red bricks and glass during the 1960s. Once inside, it's modern and airy, with an alarmingly shiny floor and a lot of very angular bookshelves. 

The view from a computer desk

I don't know how much money the Seeley manages to rake in from absent minding historians who never quite get their books back on time, but at a rate of £1 per item per day, borrowing is certainly a risky business for the student. Up until this academic year (2014-15) there was a non-renewable one day loan policy. It's now been extended to two days, which is very generous of them. On the plus side, it means that you're almost guaranteed to find any book you need within a maximum of three days.

It's threatening and in bold so you bring the books back.

But the most recent bookplates are much friendlier 

Despite the dangerous loans, the Seeley has a great collection of printed journals on sliding shelves in a little side room. It's hard to explain to people just how much fun turning the handles to retrieve a large and impressive looking tome is. Partly because by 'fun' I mean 'a pleasant distraction in exam term'.  

Basically a playground

There's a lot of desk space. Even in exam term, the Seeley is rarely at full capacity, but on a Saturday afternoon, I could count about 10 people including myself. Each desk has two little lights which are always turned on. Whilst this doesn't seem particularly energy efficient, when it gets dark there's a sort of fairy light effect, which is cute.

There are also a few tables in small indentations away from the main open space of the library, if that's more your thing, as well as desks looking out onto the Sidgewick site with plug sockets so you can distract/entertain yourself by people watching on weekdays.

Look at the pretty lights!

Bookshelves, person working, funny angle because I was trying to take photos without looking like I was taking photos.

There weren't enough people in the library to create a very studious atmosphere, but with the large desks, endless supplies of books and the open feeling that makes you think that someone is watching you and judging you for texting instead of reading, I've found that the Seeley is quite conducive to productivity.  

Just to prove that I was reading something, here is a page that had far too may words in inverted commas. 

10/10 - would visit again (if only because there's no way that my degree will get done if I don't)