The Hive is mostly a space in the Library that is only accessible to doctoral researchers, so in the first place – it’s a very good place if you want to come to work obviously and if you want to have some peace, there is usually, always some space for researchers so it’s not as crowded as the rest of the library. I think it’s just great that there is a space, that is recognised for people that are doing research here because our needs are probably a bit different from everyone else and it’s good that these are appreciated by the University and the Library in this case.  We also have two bookable rooms.

It’s also more than a work space, the Scholars are trying to create a sort of community out of it, basically we’re here to promote the Hive, to use the work space, as a base for a community, so we’re expected to organise events and to be in touch with the other bodies of the University and somehow we have to distinguish the Library / Researcher to make it more of an experience than just a place that you can work.

To add to that, I think also it’s, as Marianela said, it’s not just a place, it’s a sort of mentality as well, it’s the idea of being busy but also connected. I think we’re also really keen this year to promote interdisciplinary research for example, I’ve just mentioned that I’m researching home, but as we started talking we realised that that is also a theme, common to your economics research, so one of things we’re thinking about doing a Wikipedia editathon, where we can develop some cross disciplinary ideas and research by editing Wikipedia pages, so that’s something we’re thinking of doing. But also the fact that we are tuned in, we’re researchers as well, so we know what it’s like to be a researcher right now, not five years ago, or whatever else, maybe ten years ago.