The University of Edinburgh Main Library was evacuated after a fire alarm on Tuesday 24 February, at around 11:10am.
The building was particularly busy, with many students having just returned following Flexible Learning Week.
Students waited outside as staff directed the evacuation. The crowd included those waiting to retrieve belongings, as well as others who had just arrived.
Newly installed roadworks outside the library made it harder for library-goers to spread out, partially blocking pedestrian routes, though this did not hinder the safety of the evacuation.
“Literally the fourth time this month,” said one fourth year History and Politics student.
Another student, armed with a coffee cup and Lidl pastry, said: “I’ve only just arrived, so I think this is a sign to go home.”
Some students relocated to other study spaces. One student, who moved to the Literatures, Languages, and Cultures Library at 50 George Square, told The Student: “I left my laptop there, so I hope it doesn’t burn down.”
No fire personnel were seen on sight, and the library has since reopened.
Image by Anni Hodgkinson for The Student
