Please note that our study areas are strictly reserved for McGill students.
In order to accommodate the volume of requests, the library does not grant study spaces to faculty members.
Assignment Priority Ranking
The Humanities and Social Sciences Library has 53 Ph.D. study rooms, which can accommodate up to 149 Ph.D. students.
Desks are assigned according to the following priorities:
- Doctoral students preparing their theses
- Postdoctoral fellows without any other office space on McGill campus
- Other doctoral students as identified by the Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
All applications should be submitted using the online form. The allocation of desks will be undertaken on the principle of “first-come first-served”.
Other specialized accommodation for doctoral students includes graduate study rooms, carrels and lockers located in McLennan Library Building.
Renewal of Desk Allocation
Desks are assigned for the Fall and Winter term and may be renewed for the Summer term when requested.
If a response is not received from the student for renewal, the desk space may be assigned to another user. If the assignee does not vacate the desk, the library will make every effort to protect the assignee’s property, but will bear no responsibility for lost or stolen items.
For all questions and information, please contact the library.
Terms of Use
Students not following the policies will be asked to return their study space key:
- Rooms are checked once a month for cleanliness.
- Students occupying a PhD room space are not entitled to an extra Carrel or locker space within the library.
- If students have a Carrel desk and/or a locker checked out to their library account, they need to return their Carrel and Locker cards in order to be eligible for a PhD study room.
- It is the student’s responsibility to never allow unassigned individuals into the rooms.
- The desks will be available for use only during the library’s opening hours.
- All library material must be signed out at the Service Desk (Main Floor).
- A maximum of 50 items may be signed out.
- Recall notices are sent by e-mail. Late recalled books are charged $5/day until the book is returned.
- Before books are taken out of the library, they must be signed out at our Library Service Desk onto a regular borrowing card (Student ID).
- Books no longer needed should be dropped in the Return Bin (Main Floor).
- Cell Phone usage is prohibited in the study rooms of the library.
- Eating is not permitted and beverages must be kept in mugs with closed lids.
- Valuable personal belongings should not be kept in the lockable drawers, as the Library is not responsible for lost or stolen property.
- Students are not permitted to move any furniture or equipment into the room.
- For safety measurements, students are not permitted to install posters or cover door windows.
- A fine of $30 will be charged for the late return of key.
- A fee of $100 will be charged for replacement of a lost key.
- Current library policies and code of behaviour will be applied:
https://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/policies-and-regulations