Work begins on Rootes Learning Grid

**A new learning grid is set to open on the ground floor of the Rootes Building by April 2013.**

The project, which comes at a cost of around £1.9 million, will begin on Tuesday November 6, with heavy building work commencing in December. The ground floor reception will close and a new reception will open permanently in Senate House (previously known as Coventry House).

The new Rootes Learning Grid will offer 317 study spaces, including areas for quiet study and group work.

The University hopes to complete the project by April 2013, however it conceded that it was difficult to give an exact completion date due to the size of the project.

When asked if it would be ready for students to use during the 2013 exam period, Peter Dunn, head of communications, told the _Boar_: “Term 3 naturally sees an increase in demand for study spaces. We now have the 24-hour-opening all year round in the Learning Grid [and] 24-hour opening in the Library for Term 3.

“[There is now also] the Learning Grid Leamington, Learning Grid Rootes and the additional study spaces located in departments which offer students a mix of study environment and location during the examination period.”

He added that updates on the project would be provided through the Library website as well as Insite.

Second-year politics student Laura Pughe said she had lot of trouble during the exam period last year when trying to get a seat in the Library.

“To get a space you had to turn up at 8.00am and stay there all day without a reasonable amount of time to break for lunch,” she said.

“[A learning grid] in Rootes may mean that first years in campus accommodation would use it and that would therefore, to some extent, alleviate the problem of overcrowding,” she added. “As long as the grid has sufficient space for silent only studying I think it could help.”

The Rootes Learning Grid will also offer other facilities, including multifunctional printers.