West Hub Library

On 26 April 2022, the West Hub opened on the University’s West Cambridge Site. The University’s first co-working hub is open to all, providing a place to learn, collaborate and socialise, and is home to Cambridge University Libraries' newest service.

Marking a fresh approach to learning spaces and shared-use resources, the West Hub enables new ways for academics, researchers, students, businesses and the wider community to share the flexible spaces and services it offers.

The West Hub Library includes specialists from the Technology Libraries Team supporting the University’s Departments of Engineering, Computer Science and Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

The team brings library support to the whole Hub community including the West Cambridge Innovation District, making full use of the range of spaces available throughout the building to deliver innovative services to all users.

A place for all

Designed with people in mind, and influenced by research from Cambridge University Libraries demonstrating how people study and work, the West Hub is home to a wide variety of study spaces.

From traditional desks and high-level pods to secluded booths and comfortable sofas, there are a range of adaptable spaces. You may be looking for a spot to get your head down for revision or individual focused work, seeking a collaborative group space to work on a project, or a place to work side-by-side with classmates or colleagues: the West Hub has a place meet your needs.

Finding spaces to work digitally has never been more important and the West Hub provides an ideal place - whether for creating new content such as a presentation, pitch or poster, or for studying with the range of online library resources that are available.

A place to collaborate

The library team are on hand throughout the day providing roving support across all areas of the building, answering on-the-spot questions and directing users of the space to further detailed help for complex enquiries.

A place to learn

No matter the subject you are studying or the area you are working in, the West Hub provides a place to learn.

Cambridge University Libraries are home to a vibrant teaching community giving people the skills to use information efficiently and effectively. The ability to find, use and share relevant information from the vast range of resources available is a key transferrable skill that extends throughout and beyond time spent in academia.

The West Hub Library team runs an open teaching programme, bringing together instruction in a range of research and information skills alongside practical study and work tips. These sessions are open to all users of the building.

The team works closely with their subject specialists to build a range of embedded teaching across departments on the West Cambridge site, and are excited to collaborate with colleagues across the University Libraries to bring support to all users of the space.

"With the opening of Cambridge University Libraries' latest library service, we see the exciting potential for increased collaboration and engagement across all users of the West Hub.

Having a space that is open and accessible to all departments at the University, the West Cambridge Innovation District, as well as to members of the public, provides excellent opportunities for developing access to library services at Cambridge. We're looking forward to collaborating in new ways with a diverse range of users."

Dr Jessica Gardner, University Librarian and Director of Library Services, University of Cambridge

Visit the West Hub website to discover more and book onto the Library Easter programme.

To find out more about the library services on offer, contact the team by emailing techlib@lib.cam.ac.uk

Published 03 May 2022

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.