University guides
On this page
McGill Libraries: McLennan-Redpath, Schulich and Study Spaces
McGill's largest library is the Humanities and Social Sciences Library in the McLennan-Redpath complex at 3459 McTavish Street. Science and engineering students mostly use the Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering, which took in the old Life Sciences Library in 2013. Your McGill ID card is your library card. You can book a group study room for up to two hours at a time.
Sources checked September 29, 2026. View sources
Which library to use
McGill's locations page lists 12 places, including Rare Books and Special Collections, the University Archives and the Visual Arts Collection. The table covers the ones you'll use for studying. Hours are McGill's posted opening hours for the week of September 27 to October 3, 2026; they change around exams and holidays, so check the live hours page.
| Library | Best for | Opening hours, week of Sept. 27, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities and Social Sciences Library (McLennan-Redpath complex) | Arts, humanities and social sciences; about 3,500 seats | 8 a.m. to midnight, every day |
| Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering | Science, engineering and life sciences | 9 a.m. to midnight, every day |
| Nahum Gelber Law Library | Law | 9 a.m. to midnight, every day |
| Marvin Duchow Music Library | Music; talking, semi-quiet and silent floors | Mon to Thu 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Islamic Studies Library | Islamic studies | Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Sat |
| Birks Reading Room | Silent study | Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Osler Library of the History of Medicine | History of medicine | Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Education Curriculum Resources Centre | Education | Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Macdonald Campus Library (Barton Building) | Macdonald Campus students | Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; weekends 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Quiet zones and group study rooms
Most McLennan-Redpath seats are for quiet study. The talking areas are the Cyberthèque and the main and second floors of McLennan and Redpath. At Schulich, the first, third and sixth floors are quiet and the fifth floor is for group work. The Music Library runs a talking zone on its third floor, a semi-quiet fourth floor and a silent fifth floor. The whole Birks Reading Room is silent.
Book group rooms and individual quiet pods on McGill's room booking site. You can book up to two hours at a time and four hours a week, up to two weeks ahead. Quiet pods are at the Music and Macdonald Campus libraries. Law students book the Law Library's rooms separately.
| Example bookable room | Seats | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redpath RM07A to G | 7 rooms for 2 people each | Small rooms for pairs |
| McLennan M3-17A and B | 2 rooms for 6 people each | Projector, screen and whiteboard, third floor |
Late nights, ID rules and holidays
McGill runs a 24/7 access period at the McLennan-Redpath complex, and you need a valid McGill ID to get in after midnight. The hours page doesn't list the 24/7 dates, so check it as exams approach. McGill credits the SSMU Library Improvement Fund for the extended downtown hours.
Anyone can visit a McGill library during opening hours. At Macdonald Campus, you need a current McGill ID after 9 p.m. on weeknights and at all times on weekends, and downtown students must request access in advance. On Thanksgiving, October 12, 2026, only the Humanities and Social Sciences Library opens, for study from 8 a.m. to midnight.
Borrowing, stored books and printing
Books, scores, journals and maps go out for 30 days, and you can have up to 100 items. Loans renew automatically. A late item costs $0.50 a day, up to $20. McGill says the Humanities and Social Sciences Library's books have moved to the off-site McGill University Collections Centre in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Don't expect to browse those shelves, and leave time to get the books you need.
Printing and copying run through uPrint at every location. Black and white costs 7.3 cents a page and colour costs 24 cents, doubled for tabloid size. McGill bills students monthly through Student Accounts. Scanning to email is free.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- McGill Libraries locations
- McGill Libraries hours
- Humanities and Social Sciences Library
- About the Schulich Library
- About the Macdonald Campus Library
- McGill Libraries quiet study areas
- McGill Libraries group study areas
- McGill Library group study room booking
- McGill Libraries FAQ
- McGill ID card as a library card
- McGill Libraries loan policies for McGill users
- McGill Libraries scan, print and copy