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Newcastle University Library Rooms

Innovative digital learning spaces inspire student learning

Seeking ways to provide students with the ideal environment in which to study is leading today’s higher education establishments to develop more social spaces for group learning. The new Marjorie Robinson Library Rooms at Newcastle University offer quiet study spaces and areas designed for greater engagement and collaborative study. NEC visual displays facilitate messaging, entertainment and collaboration to enrich the student experience.

Newcastle University has recently opened its new library building in order to extend the University’s capacity to support student development. Situated a short walk away from the main campus library, this facility is a truly digital library offering space to study, think, learn, collaborate and consult. The Library Rooms were designed over two years of consultation with students and staff asking what they needed from a modern library building; the result of which now sees the upper level of the library offering a quiet study space, with ‘living rooms’ to help students to study in relaxed surroundings. The lower level has been designed to facilitate collaborative study and group projects, including a ‘chatterbox’ room for Skype calls and video conferencing.

Offering students an exceptional study experience, the Marjorie Robinson Library Rooms houses a variety of innovative digital learning spaces including over 550 study spaces, 220 desktop PC’s and lots of space for group study.

The Challenge

Consultation between the University’s AV service and the library team determined a need to fulfil three different AV requirements within the new facility including two video walls, digital signage to extend the existing campus messaging system, plus screens to facilitate the new collaborative study areas and large teaching spaces.

UniNewcastleDetail1 Paul Briganti, Senior AV Technician, explains the selection process: “After the initial consultation we assessed various products from a number of manufacturers that could provide a full hardware solution. Newcastle University has very specific requirements in terms of quality, reliability and sustainability and, following a tender exercise, NEC professional display products were recommended as being most suitable for our needs.” Roche AV, an NEC approved integration partner, was awarded the contract to fulfil the University’s requirements.


The Solution

The library required two video walls to be installed, one behind the library reception and one in the café area which would display content from several feeds. Serving multiple needs, the café video wall needed to facilitate general university information, in addition to streaming Live TV plus content sourced from external devices such as a laptop or tablet for presentations. The ultra-narrow bezel NEC X464UNS in a 2x2 configuration delivers content with high 700cd/m2 brightness to create a large digital canvas to inform and entertain.

NEC P series displays have been utilised to provide digital signage within other areas of the new library. This is an extension of a larger installation project designed to deliver a cross-campus communication network to unite the large student community. “We have used NEC screens for all of our digital signage hardware as they have been reliable and the features that the screen provides satisfy the needs of the digital signage system,” states Paul.

UniNewcastleDetail2 The University’s AV service was also requested to provide a solution that would support students working in small collaborative groups. “The study facilities needed to have a large screen that would be able to display content from various devices such as laptops or tablets, as well as the in-built PC,” explains Paul. “The 65” NEC V Series display perfectly suits this need.”

Finally, a large teaching area required visual equipment to facilitate largegroup teaching sessions, although the shape of the room was a challenge. Paul explains: “Due to the shape and size of the room it was not possible to use a single projection screen solution. We decided that the best solution would be to install a number of large NEC V Series in strategically placed locations around the room, the placement of the screens would give the students a suitable view no matter where they sit in the room.”


The Result

Offering space to study, think, learn, collaborate and consult all within new and exciting surroundings, the Marjorie Robinson Library Rooms sets the standard for future learning spaces.

Wayne Connolly, Director of Academic Services and University Librarian says: “The new library gives us an opportunity to sustain our high levels of service and to provide the study facilities that students have asked for. We have always put students’ needs at the heart of everything we do, and the increase in the Library’s capacity will help us meet their demands for new and innovative learning spaces.”