Evacuation of the Social Sciences Library

The construction work at the Social Sciences Library will be done in two phases:

• Phase 1: 1 January 2022 - September 2022, reinforcement of the foundation
• Phase 2: autumn 2022 - autumn 2024, construction of a train tunnel

During phase 1, the library's premises can not be used at all because heating, ventilation and IT will not work. During phase 2, the construction of the train tunnel that will go straight under the building will cause such major disruptions that regular operations can not take place in the building on Vasagatan 2. Therefore, the evacuation premises will continue to be used.

The library is moving to Föreningsgatan

From 20 December 2021 to the autumn of 2024, the Social Sciences Library will be located at Föreningsgatan 20, in the same block as the University of Gothenburg's large examination hall.

Opening hours at Föreningsgatan

From spring semester 2022, the opening hours on Föreningsgatan will be Monday – Thursday 8.00–20.00, Friday 8.00–19.0 and Saturday 10.00–16.00.

The Economics Library will then take over the Social Sciences Library's current generous opening hours. This is because the Economics Library offers more study places. The Economics Library's new opening hours will be Monday – Thursday at 8.00–22.00, Friday at 8.00–20.00 and Saturday – Sunday at 10.00–18.00.

The library's service remains

The Social Sciences Library continues to offer the same service as usual in the new premises on Föreningsgatan:

• Manned information desk
• Borrow and return books
• Pick up of requested books and interlibrary loans
• Wi-fi with GU account

Books, journals and textbooks are moved

Since the evacuation premises are smaller, not all materials can be moved there. The materials that are used most often and by most people are moved to Föreningsgatan:

• Journals
• Textbooks
• Other books

Study places - all types, but fewer

There will be just over 100 study places on Föreningsgatan compared to today's approximately 400. The university's Estates and facilities unit is currently working to find premises that can meet the need for additional study places.

The study places available in the new premises will be a quiet reading room, group rooms in different sizes and two reading studios for people with reading and writing disabilities. There will also be a active learning classroom with room for 24 students. When the library has no booked tuition, study places are offered in this room.

The Economics Library, which is located close to the Social Sciences Library, has just over 400 study places, and will expand to more generous opening hours during the evacuation period. In total, the University Library's eight libraries have approximately 1,300 study places, which may be used by all students. Information on the number of study places can be found on each library page.

Our libraries

Microfilms and printed newspapers remain at Vasagatan

The microfilms and the collection of older printed newspapers will not fit in the new premises. These collections will remain at Vasagatan. Therefore, the microfilms and the newspaper collection will be inaccessible from mid-December 2021 to September 2022. However, we will make occasional exceptions for employees at the University of Gothenburg, who from Monday 10 January will be able to order from the collections on Vasagatan and read the material at the Humanities Library. From the autumn of 2022, we hope to be able to offer some access to the collections on Vasagatan again. Exactly when and how is not decided yet.

Make sure to use the microfilms and older printed newspapers before the library closes. Researchers who need to use the older newspapers before the evacuation are urged to order the newspapers as soon as possible. Please specify if you need access to the newspapers for more than the usual two weeks. It is possible to read older printed newspapers up to and including week 49 in December. As usual you read the older printed newspapers on the 4th floor of the library at Vasagatan.

Some of the older newspapers and microfilms are digitized and can be accessed through the databases Svenska dagstidningar and Mediearkivet. It is also possible to order copies of the material from the National Library in Stockholm.

Accessibility of the premises

The new premises on Föreningsgatan do not have an elevator at the main entrance. People who can not use stairs and transport of goods are referred to the entrance from the yard at Viktoriagatan 30 A.

Timescale  

13 – 15 December 2021
Basement floor and floors 4 and 5 of the library on Vasagatan are closed. Group rooms and reading studios are closed. The elevator is closed. Only the entrance level is open, with access to reading rooms and textbooks.

16 – 19 December 2021
The library at Vasagatan is closed in its entirety.  

20 December 2021
The library opens at Föreningsgatan. 

Autumn 2024
The library moves back to Vasagatan 2.