Description of exterior, Waterloo Campus Library

Library building is near University Ave and Albert Street, close to the Peters Building and the Dr. Alvin Woods Building

An overview of the exterior spaces around the Waterloo campus library, including parking, approaching and entering the library, as well as outdoor amenities and spaces to enjoy.

Getting to the Waterloo Campus Library

Parking

General Waterloo campus parking details

Photo of parking spaces outside the library. Showing accessible parking spot. The route has a fixed bollard then a gentle slope with a handrail guiding up the middle.

Numerous accessible parking spots in the lot east of the library

Location within the Campus

Just north of Martin Luther University
Just west of Dr. Alvin Woods Building (DAWB)
Just south of Schlegel, Peters, and Arts C Wing Buildings

Resting Areas on the Way

Metal bench, and four bike racks. Each rack is a separate metal post with rounded bar. In this picture there are no bikes. Behind them is a concrete barrier that runs along side of the ramp for entering the library.

Three benches are near the bottom of the ramp

Sunken Garden

The sunken garden. A concrete path with large irregular stones on the right. It gently descends into the sunken garden area. Following the path leads to some fixed picnic tables. Crossing above the tables is the walkway from the ramp to the front doors. Visual art is along walls of the sunken garden, emphasizing Indigenous plants

The sunken garden is an area in front of the library beneath the overhead between the ramp and main doors. There are five tables with fixed seats. One table has space for a wheelchair. The seating area can be accessed by stairs or paved ramp.

Entrance to the Library

Ramp and Stairs

Two routes into the library. A ramp goes from ground level to a mid-point which turns back to ascend along a second part of the ramp. The second route starts at stairs, with handrail on the left going up. The stairs intersect with the first ramp at the mid-point.

The ramp route. A bench, garbage and recycling containers are at the bottom of the ramp. The ramp leads to a mid-point, which turns around to a second ascending ramp.

The second ascending ramp has hand rails along each side. It leads to a landing area. The landing area has a short walkway to the front doors of the library. The walkway has handrails along side of it.

If you take the stairs, as you reach the top, the first pathway to your right is the down ramp leading away from the library. The second path to your right is the up ramp leading the rest of the way to the library’s main entrance.

If you take the ramp, it has two ramp segments with a landing between them. At the top of the first segment, continue right to the second segment of the ramp up to a second landing area that goes over the sunken garden to the library’s main entrance.

Across the landing, which has hand rails on either side, are two sets of double doors to enter the library. Facing the library, on the right is a square bollard that has a round push button to open the doors automatically

The entrance to the library has two sets of double doors. On the right side is a square post with a large button to open the right-side doors.

Outdoor Amenities

Bike racks
Resting bench near ramp
Garbage and recycling
Lunch tables under the trees across from the library