Library Accessibility

Most of the building is wheelchair accessible, though certain public areas such as the Stacks and far corners of the Reading Room would be difficult or too tight to navigate without assistance.

In rare cases, there may be narrowing or obstruction to the pathways due to book carts, stepping stools, or oversized items.

There is limited parking available in the Quad, including two accessible spaces in front of the Library building.

Daily guest passes are available from the Reception Desk at the A&A building directly across from the Library.

Library Staff are able to pick up a parking pass for you if assistance is needed.

Parking passes are only required until 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

The only public entrance is the dark green door on the west side of the building, facing the quad, directly across from the main Arts and Administration Building.

• Ramp from the quad to the Library is on the north side of the building, following the sidewalk that passes Alexandra Hall.
• Ten stairs from the quad to the Library level with handrails on either side and in the middle.
• Direct access to the Library entrance level when coming from Lord Dalhousie Drive.
• Two sets of doors to enter the building, both sets with 36" automatic buttons. 

The elevator is directly across from the entrance, just past the Circulation desk. It is available to everyone, please do not hesitate to use it at any time.

The stairs to the Lower Level are between the entrance and the Circulation desk. There are 21 stairs to get to the Lower Level, with a turning platform halfway down, and railings on either side.

Only on the Lower Level, in the hallway at the front of the building.

• Accessible, gender-neutral bathroom directly in the middle, with a lever-handled door.
• Gendered bathrooms on either side have push-pull doors and stalls not suitable for most mobility aids.

There is a water bottle refill station in the same hallway.

Reference and Art collections are on the Main Floor in the Reading Room:

• Can be hard to navigate because of the shelving configuration and other furniture around the room.
• Most shelves go up to 6.5ft.

The rest of the Stacks are on the Lower Level:

• Aisle width is 3ft on average.
• Shelf height goes up to 8ft.

Overhead Lighting:

• Overhead lighting on the Lower Level is on a timer to conserve energy.
• Turn lights on in Stacks by pressing buttons located at regular intervals on the ends of the shelving units.
• You can ask Library Staff to turn on all lights at once before you go downstairs.

Table and Study Carrel Lamps:

• All tables and study carrels on the Lower Level have press-switch lamps.
• There are no table lamps in the Reading Room due to the natural light.
• Library Staff can provide an extra lamp upon request.

For more details, see our Facilities and Amenities page.