Library services vision for LCF’s new building in Stratford

London College of Fashion, UAL's Library will be located on the 2nd floor of the new building and will span the whole of this floor space. The vision for the new library and archive facility provided in the new building is to bring together the College’s unique and world-renowned fashion-related collections in one location. This will be a flagship space that epitomises the values of the College and of the Library Services and LCF Archives. It will be a place that inspires as well as informs, and that caters for creative inquiry and exploration as well as scholarly study and academic research.

Right at the heart of the building, the library will include learning spaces, collections and study support all with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, with crucial adjacencies such as student services and the Archives close by. The library is not located within the publicly accessible floors, however, current processes around the booked visitor and alumni access will continue in the new library space.

There will be a whole range of spaces, functions, and facilities mirroring the current library.

Learning spaces:

• Social learning space
• Group study, with flexible furniture and presentation technology; acoustically separated from the rest of the library
• Silent study
• Quiet study
• Bookable pods for one-to-one and online meetings
• Digital space, including iMacs and MFDs

Collections:

• Rolling stacks; 40% of the physical collections will be in rolling stacks (these are concertina shelving that can be opened one at a time). The Library Services team is reclassifying over 2000 books to ensure the most popular parts of the collections are accessible on the open shelving in the new space.
• Special collections will be showcased in display furniture to make these more visible and accessible to staff and students.
• The Materials Library, as well as providing storage and improved access to the rich and highly specialised library and material collections, will contain spaces where we can showcase those collections to directly link the library with academic activity and the College’s academic mission. This space is being designed with statement pieces using recycled plastics alongside other sustainable materials and will draw curiosity from the heart space due to its location being very visible. There will be tactile displays of materials in bespoke original furniture and collaborations to create links with LCF workshops and teaching and a unique programme of events to compliment a living collection.

Study support:

The new facility will provide accommodation for a range of academic support activities as part of a seamless and more integrated approach. This will include:

• An information desk
• Academic support
• Info literacy teaching and one-to-one support

The richness and academic value of the library and archive collections will be profiled in the new space as they represent a significant cornerstone of the College’s research infrastructure as well as crucial learning and teaching space.

• Read more about LCF's move
• Watch the latest tour inside LCF's new building