Every year, our Love Letter to the Library activity gives our students and visitors the chance to say what the Information Services really means to them. This year’s messages – collected from children, students, and members of the wider community – offered warmth, humour, honesty, and a few thoughtful challenges too.
After reading through the 2026 letters, one thing is clear: our users don’t just see the library as a building. It’s a place of belonging, support, learning, and care.
You think we’re gorgeous…
Across the letters, there is a strong emotional connection to the library as a place. Many of our admirer’s say that they feel comforted, supported, or even “lost” when they are away from us for the long summer holiday. Some of these letters are about falling in love with reading, and the calm, well‑kept environment we provide.
This year we even had a letter from a child (Primary 5) who must be keeping their student parent company while they study. They have told us that they have fallen in love with reading and finding information while in the library.
For some, the library is a constant across different stages of life – from undergraduate through to postgraduate study, even to our academic and Professional services colleagues.
You want to kiss us…
Staff Make the Difference
One of the strongest and most consistent themes was appreciation for library and IT staff. Many of our letter writers repeatedly thanked staff for being helpful, kind, and supportive – especially during stressful moments like exams and assignment deadlines.
Several letters included specific shout‑outs to individual staff members for going above and beyond during moments of panic, highlighting just how important our personal support can be.
Our behind‑the‑scenes work was also recognised. Contributors acknowledged the effort that goes into maintaining resources, creating welcoming spaces, and supporting learning in ways that aren’t always visible. It’s really great that people take notice of this, it takes a lot of hard work to keep IT and library services running, almost all of this work is done invisibly in the background.
We think you love us…
Supporting Learning – and Access
Many letters praised the library’s role in education and skill‑building and how easy it is to access books and journals for dissertations and other projects.
At the same time, the feedback wasn’t uncritical. One thoughtful note raised concerns about access to computers and the impact of some of the changes to technology on Level 2 of the library, reminding us that digital inclusion remains a vital part of our mission. We will be using feedback received to review this technology later in Semester (blog post will follow after this review).
This mix of appreciation and constructive feedback shows a community that not only values the library, but also wants it to continue improving. This is one of the many reasons why we love our users. 😍
You want to smooch us…
A Broad and Diverse Audience
The voices represented in the letters are diverse:
- Undergraduate and postgraduate students
- International students
- Children
- Long‑term library users
- Staff
That range reinforces the idea that the library serves many communities at once – and that each experiences it slightly differently, while still having a great but different experience.
You want to date us…
Love, Humour, and Humanity
Not every message was serious – and that’s part of the charm. Some letters were playful, self‑reflective, or humorous, reminding us that libraries are also spaces where people feel relaxed enough to be themselves.
A small number of submissions fell outside the intended scope of the activity. Thank you to the people who shared their secret crush with us — while we’re flattered to be trusted, we’d gently suggest approaching them yourself, as we’re not currently offering a matchmaking service.
The overwhelming tone of the letter’s were positive, kind, and heartfelt.
What we’re taking from this (is that mostly you love us😚😍)
The Love Letters show us that:
- Staff kindness and expertise matter deeply
- Quiet, well‑maintained study spaces are cherished
- Access to technology and resources continues to be essential
- The library is a lifelong companion for many people
Most of all, they remind us that the work done every day in the library and IT services has a real impact. It’s really amazing for our staff to know that the work they are doing makes a difference.
Thank you to everyone who shared a message. We’ve read them, we’ve felt them – and we’re carrying them forward with us into the year ahead. 🥰
And the final word goes to the person who left this letter…
“Big up the library receptionist — absolute G!”
Well done to our dedicated library team on making a difference and supporting student experience- thank you for all that you do!
Your are lovely guys! nice initiative
Thank you.