CANTERBURY Christ Church University new flagship, the Libary, provides student support facilities learning resource and conference and exhibition areas.
The library and learning centre known as Augustine House, opened in summer 2009 with the University already winning the annual UCISA Higher Education Award for Excellence for its innovative iBorrow scheme. The iBorrow scheme enables users of the university’s new libary to borrow a notebook computer as easy as picking a book from a shelf.
On the academic side, the Library has impressed many of its users. However one problem that may have been overlooked when building the £30 million Library is the lack of parking for students.
The construction of Augustine House has left nowhere for any students to park, particularly those who commute to the University’s main campus. Many students have complained.
Kara McTaggart, 20 studying Sports Science said on the matter:
Kara McTaggart, 20 studying Sports Science said on the matter:
"I have lectures only on a Wednesday and Thursday so I simply commute to Uni from Essex. Because I dont live here in Canterbury I have no kind of permit to park anywhere, so when I go to the Libary where am I supposed to park. It’s absolutely ridiculous".
Maddie Smethurst also 20, studying FRTV added;
"They spent 30 Million on this library and they didn’t think to consider parking for the students. It’s beyond me. I’ve started to park behind the back of the Library which is only meant for authorised users but why should I not? The library is meant to be beneficiary for me but at the moment it’s not".
With students parking in unauthorised parking spaces, security at the libary has started to glue notices on unauthorised cars.
Stacey Kurn, 20 said;
“Security has started to leave notices on my car. What’s worse is they have used some sort of glue that just won’t come off. They stick it on the driver’s window. Not only can this be seen as vandalism but it is unbelievably dangerous. I can’t see out of my car when I’m driving as I can’t get the notice off the window.
The library itself is around a fifteen minute walk from the main campus where here there is limited parking. Those without permits are allowed to park for up to two hours.
When given full planning permission for Augustine House, the University made further financial contribution to the cost of the local highway infrastructure, a pedestrian crossing and an underpass but what some may say they failed to contribute to was its parking facilities.
Play the following video for what Canterbury Staff think of the parking problems
For more information on Canterbury Christ Church University visit http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/library/
