Edinburgh
Cameron Smail Library
The Edinburgh Campus Library offers a wide variety of great places to study - whether you want to study alone or in a group, in silence or in quiet discussion, during the day or at the evenings and weekends – all students and staff are welcome to visit. Check our opening hours.
You need to bring your staff/student card, on every visit, to get access through the security gates. If it is your first visit, press the buzzer and get your card activated at the service desk.
External visitors can apply for access to the library through the SCONUL access scheme or register as an external visitor with the library. Click here for details of how to contact the Library Service Desk.
Try our virtual tour.
Study spaces in the library
Open seating
There are 950 open study seats throughout the library, you do not need to book these seats. We offer a variety of types of open seating: tables, pods, lounge chairs - come and find your favourite study spot!
Silent study
The ground floor and the top floor are dedicated to silent study. We also have a silent study room on level 2 and 19 bookable individual study rooms.
Group Study
The library has 5 groups study rooms and 6 digital study studios. The rooms/studios offer large LCD displays and connectivity for your own device. You need to book these rooms.
There are also many pods and group study tables on the first and second floor of the library for quiet discussion.
Accessible rooms
The library has 4 accessible rooms. Use of these rooms must be arranged via the Student Wellbeing Service.
Other study spaces
Learning Commons 1 (Hugh Nisbet Building)
The Hugh Nisbet building is open from 06:00 to 00:00.
Staffed Monday - Friday, 11:00 to 15:00.
Bookable group study rooms are available.
Learning Commons 2 (Postgraduate Centre)
Open Monday – Friday, 08:00 to 22:00.
Closed at weekends.
Bookable group study rooms are available.
The GRID
Open access 08:00 to 00:00.
Staffed: Monday - Friday 11:00 to 15:00.
Card access is required at all times for the computer labs upstairs.
Bookable group study rooms are available.
James Watt
Semester opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 06:00 - 23:00
Weekends: 08:00 - 18:00
Out of semester opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 22:00
Weekends: Closed
Student Union
Study in the relaxed atmosphere of the union
Offering a mix of seating, bars and catering
All areas have wi-fi
Bookable committee rooms - see HW Union, room booking for more information.
Crush Areas
Located across campus within each School
Study and social areas often with vending machines nearby
Central catering areas
From cafés to food courts – take your choice.
All catering areas have wifi
See Catering for more information.