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UCalgary Libraries and Study Spaces: TFDL, Branches and Workrooms
The Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) is UCalgary's main library and its biggest study space. It opened in 2011 at the heart of main campus. You scan your Unicard to get in, and with it you can stay overnight: when we checked, the building was open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and overnight study access ran from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. Six other branches, including Gallagher for science and engineering and the Health Sciences Library at Foothills, have their own hours.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. View sources
The TFDL: hours and getting in
The TFDL covers six floors at 410 University Court NW. Besides books and study space, it houses the Nickle Galleries, the Student Success Centre, Lab NEXT and the University of Calgary Press. It links by an elevated walkway to MacKimmie Tower.
Since fall 2024 you enter through turnstiles by scanning your Unicard. There are three on the main floor, one at the top of the second-floor stairs and one on the MacKimmie walkway. The turnstiles also make the 24-hour study privileges possible. You don't need to scan to reach the Good Earth coffee shop. Carry your card, and replace it at the Unicard Office if the barcode fades.
These are the hours for the week of September 27 to October 3, 2026. Wednesday, September 30 was a university holiday, so desk hours that day were shorter. Service desks inside the building always keep shorter hours than the building, so check the hours page before a late visit.
| TFDL service | Sunday | Monday to Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building (floors 1 to 6) | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Overnight study access (UCID required) | 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 8 p.m. to 7 a.m., except Friday night to 10 a.m. | 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. |
| First-floor service desk | 10:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Thursday and Friday | 10:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. |
The other branches
The library system holds more than 7.8 million items across seven libraries and a High Density storage facility. About 60 per cent of the book and journal collection sits in that facility at Spy Hill, so a book you find in the catalogue may not be on an open shelf.
Opening hours below are for Monday to Friday in the week of September 28, 2026. Every branch has a service desk that opens for only a few hours a day.
| Branch | Where | Weekday hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallagher Library | 180 Earth Sciences, main campus | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 12 to 4 p.m. on weekends | Science and engineering; one bookable workroom |
| Business Library | 301 Scurfield Hall, main campus | 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day that week | Haskayne business databases and reference help |
| Bennett Jones Law Library | Main campus (2500 University Drive NW) | Card access 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Open to students from every faculty |
| Doucette Library | Education Block 370, main campus | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; 12 to 4 p.m. on weekends | K to 12 curriculum resources and children's books |
| Health Sciences Library | 1450 Health Sciences Centre, Foothills campus | Card access 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Medicine, nursing and vet med; 11 bookable workrooms |
| Military Museums Library and Archives | 4520 Crowchild Trail SW | See the hours page | Canadian military history |
Booking a group workroom
UCalgary students, faculty and staff can book workrooms for academic use during library hours. Clubs and events can't use them. Book on the library's workroom booking page.
| Room type | How many | Booking window |
|---|---|---|
| TFDL small workrooms (4 to 6 people) | 20 rooms on floors 1, 2 and 3 | Up to seven days ahead |
| TFDL large meeting rooms (6 or more) | 5 rooms on floors 2 and 3 | Same day only |
| Lab NEXT collaboration rooms | 2 rooms on the TFDL third floor | Workroom booking page |
| Health Sciences Library workrooms | 11 rooms | Workroom booking page |
| Gallagher Library workroom | 1 room | Workroom booking page |
- Book one or two hours in a day, starting on the hour, to a maximum of three hours in any seven days.
- Each group books once. One booking per group member isn't allowed.
- If you're more than 10 minutes late, others can take that hour.
- Only cold snacks and drinks in closed containers are allowed. Rooms aren't secure, so don't leave your things.
Finding a seat without booking
The library publishes live occupancy for each TFDL floor. On the afternoon we checked, the first and second floors read very busy at about 81 per cent, while the fourth floor read not busy at 30 per cent. Check it before you walk over.
Active Living also runs treadmill desks in the KNB atrium, by the Kinesiology A entrance and in the Hunter Student Commons.
Technology, quiet rooms and research help
The bookings page lists more than study rooms. Lab NEXT on the TFDL third floor has high-performance PCs, digital media Macs, a makerspace and a video creation room. The fourth-floor Visualization Studio has a high-resolution display wall. There's also a bookable multi-sensory room, laptop plug-in desks and borrowable technology.
Your Unicard is your library card once you're an active student, and your eID and password open e-resources from off campus. Through the myLibrarian program you can find the librarian for your subject and ask for research help.
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.
- UCalgary Libraries: hours for all locations
- UCalgary News: TFDL access changes (Unicard turnstiles)
- UCalgary Libraries: branches
- UCalgary: Spy Hill Campus and the High Density Library
- UCalgary Libraries: workroom bookings and rules
- UCalgary Libraries: bookings
- UCalgary Libraries: TFDL occupancy
- UCalgary Libraries: resources for undergraduate students
- UCalgary Active Living: student study spaces and treadmill desks