The University of Edinburgh’s main library closed at 7pm on 5 November due to a water supply issue.
It reopened at 8.30am on 6 November once plumbing works had been completed.
Students were given a 15 minute warning over the speaker system, instructed to gather their belongings and leave.
Reportedly, running water had stopped working earlier in the evening.
Under the 1992 Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations, workplaces are required to provide clean drinking water, and hot and cold water at washing facilities.
The closure comes during a busy period of midterms and coursework deadlines, where students rely heavily on the quiet study space and university computers.
A third-year neuroscience student expressed her frustration to The Student about the disruption:
“I have multiple deadlines next week and really needed this evening to get my work done.
“I was using a library computer and need access to a printer later so I can’t really complete my work from home.”
The University of Edinburgh announced the library’s closure on the main library website, providing a link for other study spaces at the university.
The main library is the only university library open 24 hours a day making it a key study space for students, especially during the final weeks of term.
Image by Spencer Siles for The Student.