Are you a parent? Help us design our new Family Study Room

Augustine House Library is currently undergoing exciting enhancements to improve your library experience, based on your feedback. In AHg.49, found behind the Library Point on the ground floor, we are developing a Family Study Room to support parent students. Its purpose is to provide a safe, self-contained environment to study alongside your children. We aim to offer a dedicated study space for adults, alongside a small range of resources such as toys and children’s books to enrich your children’s experience whilst they are in the library.

If you are a student with children, we would really love to hear from you, so please take a moment to fill out our quick form, either by scanning the QR code below or clicking here. Your feedback means a lot to us and will help us create a Family Study Room that works for you and your children.

We would also love to hear directly from you through an in-person session in Augustine House to gather your thoughts. If you are able, please also let us know which dates in June you would be available to meet a member of our library team for a quick, informal discussion about your thoughts on this new space.

The entry way towards AHg.49. — AHg.49 is the room on the left, found on the Ground Floor just behind the Library Point.

The inside of AHg.49, taken before it's renovations to become the Family Study Room. It is a bright room with white walls, three purple chairs and a desk with a PC. — The inside of AHg.49, taken before renovations.

Other Universities’ Family Study Rooms

To help paint a picture of what a Family Study Room in Augustine House could look like, below are some examples from other universities’ Family Study Rooms and what they have to offer.

The University of York

‘York central hall’ by Johnteslade. Sourced by Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The University of York’s Family Study Room is a dual use space, with half the room dedicated for adult study with desks and PC’s, and the other half dedicated for children’s play and activities. The children’s area offers a range of books, toys, and specialist furniture, such as comfortable seating options, engaging décor, and activity tables.

The room requires a booking each time you use the space, and once booked, users of the Family Study Room are able to bring along a nominated guest with them and their children.

As pointed out by student parents from the University of York, having this dedicated space means students with children don’t have to spend time arranging childcare, or divide their attention between university and their family. We aim for our own Family Study Room to support our student parents and your children in this same way, and study as any student would.

University of Bradford

‘University of Bradford’ by Tim Green. Sourced by Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Family Study Room at the University of Bradford is a colourful space with child-friendly furniture, books, and colouring books and pens for children to use. The room also features engaging, educational posters, such as the times table, a world map, and a map of the solar system. For adults, it includes a desk, power sockets, and a nursing chair to provide a discrete, comfortable space for breastfeeding.

As commented by a parent student from the University of Bradford:

“[The Family Study Room is] really, really helpful. It engages the kids. It takes a lot of stress away from me. I used to think ‘How do I cope with my studies and my child?’ I was worried before I used to come to this room. It has released my stress dramatically…  I love how cheerful the room is. I’m so happy.”

The University of Surrey

‘University of Surrey Stag’ by Tim Sheerman-Chase. Sourced by Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons.

The University of Surrey’s Family Study Room is mainly dedicated for children to play and relax in, with most of the space given over to specialist furniture and activities for children’s enjoyment. It provides a singular adult study desk and computer, and for children, offers two activity tables, bean bags, a play den, and a wide variety of books and toys.

Like the University of York, the University of Surrey’s Family Study Room is an exclusive, bookable space, limited to one family at a time for up to four hours per booking. Similarly, the room also allows students to bring a nominated guest with them whilst utilising the study room with their children.

Your Family Study Room

The door of AHg.49, labelled as 'Family Room'.

If you are a student with children and would like to share your thoughts on what you would like to see in this space, then please fill out this form.

We would really value the opportunity to discuss your thoughts on our new Family Study Room in a quick, informal meeting with a member of our library team. If possible, please also include any dates in June that you would be available to meet a member of our library team in Augustine House for a brief session to share your ideas about this new space.

Overall, we believe that the creation of a Family Study Room will be a valuable addition to Augustine House, allowing parent students to focus on their studies without having to choose between academic work and family responsibilities, while also inspiring children through play and reading. With its implementation, we hope that all students and their children will be made to feel welcome in the library, and through listening to your feedback, that your needs are put front and centre in the delivery of our library services.

Featured Image: Photo taken by PetraSolajova, sourced by Pixabay, Content License – Pixabay