Library Services and the Festive Season
Our opening hours change during the festive season from Monday 16 December 2024 to Sunday 12 January 2025.
Standard opening hours will resume from Monday 13 January 2025, see Opening Hours.
See below for details about keeping books/laptops for longer and which services will close.
Festive Opening Hours
| Date | Merchiston Library 24h zone | Merchiston Books (Zone 5) |
Craiglockhart & Sighthill Libraries | Help desks open* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 16 December to Friday 20 December | 24 hours (closes 9pm on 20/12) | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8.45am -4.45pm* |
| Saturday 21 December to Sunday 22 December | 9am - 5pm | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Monday 23 December | 9am - 5pm | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Tuesday 24 December | 9am - 5pm | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Wednesday 25 December to Thursday 26 December | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Friday 27 December to Tuesday 31 December | 9am - 5pm | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Wednesday 1 January to Thursday 2 January |
Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed* |
| Friday 3 January | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8.45am - 4.45pm* |
| Saturday 4 January to Sunday 5 January | 8am - 9pm | 9am - 5pm | 9am - 5pm | Closed* |
| Monday 6 January to Friday 10 January | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8am - 9pm | 8.45am - 4.45pm* |
| Saturday 11 January to Sunday 12 January | 8am - 9pm | 9am - 5pm | 9am - 5pm | Closed* |
Access to Merchiston library books is available during staffed hours only.
If Merchiston Library Zones 1-4 only are open (the 24 hour zone), you will have access to study space, group study pods and computers.
There will be no access to book stock or staff help. Access is by swipe card only.
*Outwith these hours Library support will be provided by the NorMAN out of hours service.
You’ll find the opening hours of the Computer Suites over the festive period on the Computer Suite Festive Opening Hours page.
Keep items over Christmas with no fines or recalls
You can borrow any Library items from Friday 13 December 2024, and you won’t need to return them before Monday 27 January 2025.
This includes laptop loans for students.
13 December – 27 January
- Any Library items due to be returned between these dates will now automatically be due Monday 27 January 2025.
- You can still Click and Collect books, but only those on the shelf, as we will not be recalling items from other users. Tuesday 17 December is the last date for requesting items from a different campus. Books can be collected from Merchiston campus during festive opening hours.
If you have had a Library book for over four months and would like to keep it over the festive period, please contact us and we will re-issue it for you.
Services update
- You can still book Group Study Rooms at Merchiston over the Christmas break using Resource Booker.
- Postal Loans will not be available from the 16 December 2024 to 6 January 2025. Requests made from the 16 December 2024 will be processed after 6 January 2025.
- Inter Library Loans will not be processed over the festive season while the library is closed. Requests made from 19 December 2024 will be processed after 6 January 2025.
- If you return items to Edinburgh Napier student accommodation, these will not be collected and will remain on your record until after the Christmas break. You will not be fined.
We're still here online
While our physical libraries are closed, you can continue to access ebooks, ejournals and databases using LibrarySearch.
When using LibrarySearch off-campus:
- Don’t forget to Sign In to LibrarySearch
This means you will see all the subscription resources the Library pays for. - Limit your search results to full-text online
Enter your search words, and then use the filters on the right hand side under ‘Tweak my results’ to limit your search to show only ebooks and ejournals.
Useful Links:
- Subject Guides – Find subject-specific help
- A-Z List of Databases
- Finding Resources –Step-by-step guides to finding ebooks and ejournals.
Getting help
You can still contact us 24 hours a day for Library support during the festive break.
If you need any help, email library@napier.ac.uk or call 0131 455 3500.
While the University is closed, calls will be answered by our Out of Hours Service.