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Laurier Library: Study Rooms, Hours and Locations
Laurier Library has three physical locations: the main library on the Waterloo campus, Laurier Library Brantford in Grand River Hall, and a Social Work library in Kitchener. Milton has no library building yet. Milton students study in the Milton Academic Centre and get print items delivered. Waterloo is the big one, with about 800 study spaces across seven floors, plus group rooms, individual rooms and pods you can book online.
Sources checked September 30, 2026. View sources
Where each campus studies
Pick your library by campus. Each location posts building hours one week at a time, and individual services can keep shorter hours. The hours below are the listings for September 30 to October 6, 2026, so check the location page before exam season.
| Location | Where | What's there | Hours listed for Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo campus library | 75 University Avenue West, west end of campus beside Martin Luther University College and the Dr. Alvin Woods Building | About 800 study spaces, over a million print books and archival items, an art gallery, Archives and Special Collections, and a makerspace | Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Laurier Library Brantford | Grand River Hall, Colborne Street, downtown Brantford | Collections, study areas, staff help and two librarians based on site | Weekdays from 8:30 a.m., closing at 4:30 or 7 p.m. depending on the day; closed weekends |
| Social Work Library, Kitchener | Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, 120 Duke Street West | Study space, two bookable rooms and a small book collection | Staffed Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; OneCard access at other times |
| Milton | Laurier Milton Academic Centre, 555 Industrial Drive | No library building; study space is provided by the Academic Centre, with online collections and delivery | Follows the Academic Centre |
- Brantford students can also get a free Brantford Public Library card for extra study space. That library sits at the same Colborne and Market corner.
- Laurier is converting the Digital Library and Learning Commons on the first floor of Grand River Hall into Laurier Library Brantford, so expect the space to keep changing.
- Grand River Hall needs a OneCard tap for entry after 4:30 p.m.
How the Waterloo library works floor by floor
You enter on the second floor, the main level, where the help desk and lost and found are. Computer desks with Laurier software sit on the main floor and floors 3 and 4. Open tables, lounge seats and enclosed individual carrels fill floors 3 to 7 on a first-come, first-served basis.
Floor 7 is silent study only. Floor 3 holds the Graduate Commons, which only graduate and postdoctoral students can enter by OneCard. The building has a ramp, stairs and automatic door openers at the main entrance.
The Library Makerspace is on the main level, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m. You don't need experience. It covers sewing, 3D design and printing, vinyl and paper die cutting, photo and video editing and electronics, with drop-in Maker Mondays and short workshops.
Book a study room or pod
Bookable spaces run through the library's Reservo system at library.wlu.ca/reservo. For individual rooms in Waterloo, you pick up a key at the main-floor service desk, and a late key costs a $15 fine.
| Space | Where | Who can book | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group study rooms | Waterloo library | Groups of 2 to 6 | Up to 3 hours a day |
| Individual study rooms | Waterloo library, floor 3 | All students | Up to 3 hours a day; key from the main desk |
| Individual study rooms | Waterloo library, floors 4 to 7 | Students registered with Accessible Learning | Up to 6 hours a day; key from the main desk |
| Individual study pods | Waterloo library, floor 7 | All students | Book through Reservo |
| Group study rooms (2) | Social Work Library, Kitchener | 1 to 6 people | Up to 3 hours a day |
| Group study room | Laurier Library Brantford | Brantford campus students | Book through Reservo |
Find, borrow and get items delivered
Omni is the library's search tool. It covers Laurier's collections and those of Omni partner libraries, so you can request print items from Laurier or partners. Most of Laurier's collection is online, which matters most at Milton and Brantford.
Course readings usually sit in Ares, linked from the Course Resources tab inside each MyLearningSpace course. If you're stuck, use the Ask Us chat, email libraryhelp@wlu.ca or book a subject librarian. Milton has named librarians for Computer Science and Psychology.
- Books to go: request a print item in Omni and staff pull it for pickup at your local library.
- Mail on Demand: free home delivery of items requested through Omni.
- Scan on Demand: request a digital copy of a journal article or book chapter from Laurier's collection.
- Resource sharing: request material from other libraries when Laurier doesn't hold it.
What to do in your first week
Log in to MyLearningSpace and check each course for a Course Resources list before you buy anything. Then try booking a group room early in the term, so you know how Reservo works before exams.
If you're at Milton, find the Academic Centre study areas first, then set up Omni delivery to Milton so you're not waiting on print items at midterms. Laurier's first-year user guide and library tutorials cover the research basics.
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.
- Laurier Library: locations
- Laurier Library: Waterloo campus library
- Laurier Library: Brantford campus
- Laurier Library: Milton campus
- Laurier Library: study areas and reservable rooms
- Laurier Library: makerspace
- Laurier Library: Reservo room booking
- Laurier Library: borrowing services
- Laurier Library: welcome to new and returning students