Accessibility at George IV Bridge
What's on each floor
While it looks like you are on the ground floor when you enter our building from George IV Bridge, you are actually on level 11 of this building.
Our General Reading Room is on level 13, and our Special Collections Reading Room is on level 15.
Main entrance
Stairs and wheelchair lifts to the Visitor centre.
Visitor centre
Visitor centre on level 11 with café, gift shop, exhibition and event spaces, contemplation space, toilets, lockers and Reader's Registration.
General Reading Room
The Discovery Room, General Reading Room, Issue Hall with enquiry, collection and return desk, lift, and security checkpoint for Library members and toilets are all on level 13.
Special Collections Reading Room
The Special Collections Reading Room, lift, stairs, and security checkpoint for Library members are all on level 15.
Entrance, stair and lifts
Entering the building
The main entrance has level access from the street outside. The door is sliding and automatic, and is 1450mm wide.
Getting to the Visitor centre
There are two accessible lifts on either side of the main entrance stairs going to the Visitor centre on level 11. They are 872mm wide. They provide access to our exhibition and event spaces, shop, café, Reader's Registration, toilets and further lifts. Staff will assist with operating the lift.
There are 11 stairs up to the Visitor centre from the main entrance. There is a handrail on either side.
Getting to the reading rooms
There is one lift in the Visitor centre giving access to the General Reading Room and Discovery Room on level 13 and the Special Collections Reading Room on level 15.
The lift is at the end of a short corridor to the left of the foot of the main staircase of the Visitor centre. This lift will take you to the General Reading Room, Issue Hall, Discovery Room and Special Collections Reading Room.
Lift details:
The lift door is 750mm wide.
The lift is 1050mm wide and 1200mm deep.
The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.
The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.
The lift announces the floor number at each floor via a speaker sound system.
A mirror is located on the left-hand side of the lift.
There is fluorescent lighting and linoleum flooring in the lift.
No music is played in the lift.
You can also access the first floor reading rooms via the main staircase which has a handrail at either side. There are 40 steps with a tread height of 140mm. There is no handrail for the bottom three stairs.
General Reading Room
The General Reading Room is on level 13 and has two floors. The upper mezzanine can only be reached by stairs which have handrails on either side. There are 16 steps to the mezzanine.
Special Collections Reading Room
The Special Collections Reading Room is on level 15. You can access this space using a lift from the Visitor centre on level 11. You can also reach it from General Reading Room mezzanine level using a second set of stairs (13 steps) that curve to the right. There is no handrail for the bottom two steps.
Accessible toilets
There are two accessible unisex toilets in the George IV bridge building.
Visitor centre toilets
There is an accessible public toilet in the Visitor centre beside the Library café. This can be accessed via an accessible lift at the main entrance.
Reading room toilets
There is an accessible public toilet by the General Reading Room on level 13. This can be accessed from the Visitor centre on level 11 via the main staircase or a lift located at the end of a short corridor to the left of the foot of the main stair.
Reading rooms and study spaces
We aim to provide the widest possible access to our reading rooms.
As part of this, we provide assistive equipment and technology in each of the reading rooms and study spaces. Ask a member of staff at the Collection & Return Desk about using any of this equipment.
Assistive technology in the General Reading Room
Kneeling and ergonomic chairs
Height-adjustable tables
Foot supports
Support cushions
Magnifying glasses (2x and 4x)
Ruby XL HD magnifier
Aids for keeping books open
Book rests (provided as standard)
Laptop stands
Assistive technology in the Special Collections Reading Room
A SmartView Synergy SI machine
Magnifying equipment
A height-adjustable desk
An ergonomic chair
Assistive technology in the Discovery Room
Computers with a large keyboard and screen
Height-adjustable tables
'MyReader2' (CCTV/video magnifier) for enlarging text
Kurzweil, Supernova and JAWS software
Deaf and hard of hearing visitors
Subtitles
Videos with sound that are on display in our exhibitions have subtitles.
Fire alarms
In the event of a fire alarm, our fire alarms have flashing lights as well as sound.
Visually impaired visitors
Large print
The text throughout our exhibitions is available in large print.
Magnifying sheets
Magnifying sheets are freely available to visitors on a stand directly outside of the Treasures exhibition.
Lighting
The Treasures exhibition space has low lighting.
Evacuation
If you have visual impairment and would like help to leave the building during an emergency evacuation, alert a member of staff.
Wheelchairs
The Library at George IV Bridge is accessible for wheelchair users and can cater for other access requirements.
We also have a wheelchair available for exhibition visitors who need it.
The locker room has lockers which are accessible to wheelchair users.
Read about evacuating in an emergency as a wheelchair user and consulting material.
Assistance animals
You can bring assistance and emotional support animals into the building. We can provide water bowls.
Read our Assistance and emotional support animal policy (Word document) (351 KB; 8 pages) for more information about this.
Blue Badge holders car parking
Blue Badge holders can park on the single and double yellow lines on George IV Bridge.
There is also parking for blue-badge holders 24 hours a day at the top of Victoria Street (south side) opposite the Library.
Check on-street signage for any temporary closures, changes or updates.
Emergency procedures
Fire alarm
In the event of a fire, the fire alarm will activate. Our fire alarms have flashing lights as well as sound to alert visitors with hearing impairments.
Emergency evacuation
In the case of an evacuation, all visitors inside the Library will be led to safety by Library staff or by a member of the fire brigade.
Main evacuation routes
From the Visitor centre on level 11
Leave via the main entrance and out onto George IV Bridge street. Our accessible lifts can be used in the event of an evacuation, and staff can assist with this if needed.
From the General Reading Room on level 13
Leave via the exit to the stairway at the south side of the General Reading Room. This route includes eight flights of stairs (115 steps) down to the Cowgate street area. From there, make your way back up the steep hill to the front door on George IV Bridge.
From the Special Collections Reading Room on level 15
Leave via the north side of the Special Collections Reading Room. This route includes nine flights of stairs (145 steps) down to the Cowgate street area. From there, make your way back up the steep hill to the front door on George IV Bridge.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
You may have a medical condition or disability making it difficult to negotiate the stairs or the hill during an evacuation. When you first register as a Library member, we will complete a short Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) questionnaire with you.
Evacuation route
Your evacuation route will be via the fire-protected lift (790mm) at the south side of the General Reading Room.
If the lift is not available, we will help you using Evac+Chairs down one flight of stairs at the north side of the General Reading Room and out via the Advocates Library at Parliament Square.
If you are unable to self-transfer to an evacuation chair, let us know in advance of your visit. We will arrange an accessible space for you to consult material.
We will then bring you back into the building via the fire-protected lift or the main entrance.
If you have visual impairment and would like help to leave the building during an emergency evacuation, alert a member of staff.
Special Collections Reading Room
To ensure safe emergency evacuation of the Special Collections Reading room, mobility-impaired visitors and wheelchair users will be provided with access to special collections material within the General Reading Room instead.