Main Library opening hours
Opening hours and staffed hours of the Main Library, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LJ
Restricted access to the Main Library and the Law Library for Reference users during exam period
From Monday 8 April to Sunday 19 May 2019 inclusive access to the Main Library and the Law Library will be restricted for Reference users. This also includes those with SCONUL Reference Only cards.
Restrictions are as follows:
Main Library - no access from 5.30am to 5.30pm; Law Library - no access from opening time to 5.30pm.
Centre for Research Collections (CRC) users, graduates of the University of Edinburgh, full SCONUL members with borrowing rights and all other users with borrowing rights are not affected by this.
Normal access arrangements will resume on Monday 20 May 2019.
If you feel an exception should be made in your case, please email is.helpline@ed.ac.uk stating the reasons for an exception to be made.
Main Library occupancy traffic light system
Updated every five minutes you can see here an indicator of occupancy of the Main Library based upon library entries and exits using anonymized and aggregrated card data recorded at the barriers. Find out more about privacy in relation to data used for the Main Library occupancy traffic light system.
Main Library is open 24/7
Three levels of the Library will remain open to students all night - the lower ground, ground and first floors.
At midnight, students working on the other floors will be invited to move to lower levels. The upper floors will re-open each day at 7.30am.**
**Floors 2, 3, 4 and 5 will also remain open 24/7 from 07:30 Saturday 20 April to 23:59 Sunday 12 May
A tannoy announcement will be made 30 minutes and then 15 minutes before the upper floors of the library close. Users are asked to co-operate with library and security staff in clearing the upper floors promptly at closing times.
The cafe space will also be open as study space during the night during semester time. Opening times can be found below.
Helpdesk Opening Hours
| Day | Building opening hours | Helpdesk opening hours |
| Monday - Thursday | 24 hours | 9am - 7:50pm |
| Friday | 24 hours | 9am - 6:50pm |
| Saturday | 24 hours | 12 noon - 4:50pm |
| Sunday | 24 hours | 12 noon - 6:50pm |
Centre for Research Collections (CRC)
Opening hours for the Centre for Research Collections, including Special Collections, can be found on their website:
Library Cafe
During semester the cafe space will be open to library members outwith the cafe service opening times. Access will be via swipe card only.
| Open | Closed | |
| Monday - Thursday |
Cafe Services: 8:30am-10pm (Cafe services close at 10pm. Cafe space will be vacated for 1 hour and then re-open for study space only): Cafe space: 11pm - 6am |
6am - 8:30am |
| Friday |
Cafe Services: 8:30 am - 6pm (Cafe services close at 6pm. Cafe space will be vacated for 1 hour and then re-open for study space only): Cafe space: 7pm - 6am |
6am - 8:30am |
| Saturday |
Cafe services : 10am -6pm (Cafe services close at 6pm. Cafe space will be vacated for 1 hour and then re-open for study space only): Cafe space : 7pm - 6am |
6am - 10am |
| Sunday |
Cafe services: 12 noon - 6pm (Cafe services close at 6pm. Cafe space will be vacated for 1 hour and then re-open for study space only): Cafe space 7pm - 6am |
6am - 12 noon |