Library Hours and Location

Making the Most of Your Library Visits

Knowing when the library is open is only the first step. Planning your visits around the rhythm of the academic year can make a real difference to how much you get done. Weekday mornings tend to be quieter, while afternoons and the weeks before examinations usually bring heavier demand for study seats, computers and short-loan materials. If you need a particular textbook or a quiet corner, arriving early is a simple way to avoid disappointment.

Before you go

• Bring your student or staff identification. Most university libraries ask for it on entry and when borrowing items.
• Check opening times ahead of holidays and exam periods. Hours can change during breaks, public holidays or special events, so confirm with library staff or official college notices rather than relying on a printed timetable.
• Prepare for power interruptions. Freetown can experience outages, so charge your laptop and phone beforehand and keep paper notes as a backup.
• Carry water and dress comfortably. Reading rooms can grow warm during the dry season afternoons.

Using library resources well

Ask at the help desk how the catalogue is organised and whether any materials are reference-only. Librarians can often point you towards past examination papers, theses and reports from earlier students, which are useful when shaping your own research questions. Postgraduate students and final-year undergraduates working on dissertations may find it worth discussing their topic with library staff early, since locating local and regional sources on Sierra Leone can take time.

Respect shared spaces: keep phones on silent, return books on time so others can use them, and handle older or fragile volumes with care. Many of the college's printed collections are difficult to replace.

The library supports every stage of study, from first-year coursework to advanced research. To see how it fits with your course, explore our academic programs, read more about ongoing research at the college, or find your way around with our guide to the campus.