Honestly, it's not IKEA

Like Bedford (Polhill) Library, University Square in Luton's LRC is open 24/365. Over the summer the ground floor IT Suite (which used to just house rows of computers and occasional printers), was refurbished to provide more study spaces for group and individual study.

Study pods with power sockets and data points. They vary in size to fit groups of 6-8, pairs and people working independently. New light fittings have brightened and warmed the space.

Over 200 computers, with a retractable screen to stop exams closing access to the area. Even though there are over 25 more computers than before and they've been moved to one half of the room, the computer area feels less cramped than before.  

Bill Rammell, Vice-Chancellor, opened the new facility. The cubes on the wall seem to muffle sound so, although foot-fall in the suite has risen, it is a less stressful environment to study in.

The library managers worked closely with a specialist design team to make a welcoming, colourful but study-friendly space. They visited new or redesigned HE libraries from Scotland to Wales to see how furniture catalogues and 'mood boards' translate into real working spaces. 

The refurbishment is part of the Academic and Student Experience Enhancement Project and is a small testing ground for some of the design ideas being planned the new Academic Building in Bedford and the new Luton LRC which should both open in 2015.

To get more of a feel of how the space looks and works see the photos on the UOB Flickr pages. And tell us what you think @uoblibrary on Twitter, Facebook or the 'Tell Us' page. In the first week, the space had already been vandalised - was that a message too?