Reading for leisure
The Leisure Collection offers a wide range of fiction and poetry, along with books on wellbeing, emotions, and learning differences. It spans classic to contemporary authors and includes genres from everyday life to the supernatural, all available for casual, take-home reading.
Spotlight On collection
Every month the Library curates a small 'Spotlight On' collection. Previous topics include: the history of the NHS; Halloween; Black History Month; Mental Health Awareness, and many more. You can view current and previous 'Spotlight On' collections (expand the list to see them all). The Spotlight On collection is to the left of the Reading Room entrance, near the windows.
Reading Well Collection
This small book and DVD collection covers mental health, wellbeing, and other related topics. The collection is available to all students and staff, and you can find the online reading list here. There are four themes to the collection:
- Mental health (Shelf mark / Classmark: MH 1-36) - including stress, depression and body image
- Long-term conditions (LTC 1-28) - including IBS, chronic fatigue and OCD
- Young people's mental health (YPM 1-33)
- Dementia (DM 1-35)
If you'd like further support with any of these topics, you can find out more about the university's mental health and wellbeing team. The Reading Well Collection is to the left of the Reading Room entrance, near the windows.
Leisure Reading Collection
Our Leisure Collection includes novels from Charles Dickens to Stephen King, Enid Blyton to Virginia Woolf, Philip Pullman to Roald Dahl. You can also find books on health and managing emotions, vampires, poetry collections and learning differences. All are available to check out and take home “at your leisure”.
The Leisure Collection can be found on the Reading Room Mezzanine and for a choice of Leisure Reading online, visit Libby.
You can browse the collection online.
Take a break from study
There are lots of ways you can switch-off and take a break from studying.
Enjoy the view
Take a moment to enjoy the view from the Brynmor Jones Library’s seventh-floor observatory, offering a rare, peaceful vantage point over campus and the city
Relax with a cuppa
Grab a brew, and maybe something to eat at the library Cafe 'Whitsuns' on the ground floor
Visit the art gallery and exhibition space
Explore the Brynmor Jones Art Collection - free and open to all, with rotating exhibitions year-round.
Find a quiet space
There are plenty of comfortable spaces to plug in your laptop, read or just enjoy the peace and quiet.