British Library - women's toilets

The one and only time that I have seen men queuing outside toilets in the way women often have to at theatres was at a rugby match at Twickenham, an event where there was almost certainly a massive imbalance in the sexes to cause it.

At theatres, the audience is usually 50/50 and the same amount of floor space is provided for each. However urinals are more space-efficient than cubicles so the men have more fittings to use. Men using a urinal can be in and done in as little as ten seconds before moving away to the sink (hopefully), women take longer to urinate (including every task from trousers down to trousers back up) and have other reasons to use the facility too.

So in a building used fairly equally by men and women, it would be sensible to allocate more floor space in the design to the female toilets. This ensures equality of outcome (equal chances of queuing). Instead what we appear to have in the BL is four times the capacity for the sex who need it less.

This may not be a problem in practice. If the facilities are well in excess of demand then no one has to queue so equality of outcome is satisfied. Even so, why did someone bother putting an extra men's toilet o that floor?

They’d better have some sanpro bins in those men’s loos. Or someone may kick up a huge stink...

I’m another one who used to do research almost full time in the British Library. There is a set of ladies’ loos on every floor with a large number of cubicles, and they were always very clean and pretty much always empty. I was generally the only person in there. There are loads of places in london where I’d moan about the lack of toilet provision for women (starting with just about every theatre, and certainly every theatre built before about 2000) but the BL is the last place I’d think to complain about in that regard.

I was last at the British Museum in early 2020 which I'm fairly certain pre-dated this signage and I washed my hands next to someone who was clearly male in the ladies.

So I think it's been informal policy for a while now.

But I never once had to queue for the bogs then.
Before covid, I regularly used to go to do research, and I was often the only one in the toilets, and they were very clean.

It's four floors plus mezzanine, from memory. There are toilets on all the floors. You've posted about one of those floors.

How does provision balance out in the whole building? You haven't said. Do you know?

Was the space for 15 your OH saw 15 cubicles, or a mix of cubicles and urinals?

They're supplying single sex provision, for both sexes. They're providing seperate trans-friendly provision. They have disabled access, both within the single-sex spaces and in seperate cubicles.

Plus they have information on changing places toilets, which is life-changing for those who need it.

Assuming it's sufficient, clean, and well maintained, that ticks all the boxes for me.

On the map I've found of the British Library... there is two sets of toilets marked. On one side, Mens and Accessible. On the other side, Mens, Womens and Accessible. Also mentions a further Accessible toilet next to the Reading room.

www.bl.uk/visit/accessibility
(Map is mentioned about half way down)

[quote Motorina]@OttilieStonelady - British Library, not British Museum.

I used to spend a fair bit of time there in the 90s. I admit it's probably 20 years since I've been. But I never once had to queue for the bogs then.[/quote]
🤣🤣🤣 I'm so thick sometimes! I'm drunk and on my period if that excuses me at all...

Funny how whenever it comes to toilets they know exactly what a man and woman is. The men’s toilet always remains a single sex space.. it’s almost as if they don’t dare try this with men, but us razor toothed harpies aka women. To hell with us!

My MIL liked the British Museum - she can’t have seen this or she would absolutely have complained and asked them what the hell is going on. I might mention it to her next time she goes there with her friends.

@OttilieStonelady - British Library, not British Museum.

I used to spend a fair bit of time there in the 90s. I admit it's probably 20 years since I've been. But I never once had to queue for the bogs then.

OP is annoyed that females have less toilet provision than males

So thry didn't have a women's only toilet on the same floor, which would be the equivalent of the men's toilet on the right in the photo???

Have you been to the British museum before? There must be at least 7 or 8 toilets there! It's massive. I go every year and am sure there are at least 4 women's toilets across the floors... I really think OP has got this wrong.

I'm on the British Library website now.

There's accessible toilets on all floors.

There are disabled cubicles within all the sex-restricted toilet facilities as well as "separate unisex accessible toilets for privacy".

They have information on the nearest adult 'changing places' toilet.

There is both single sex toilet blocks, and trans/gender non-conforming toilet provision. The latter is within those seperate unisex accessible toilets.

Assuming there's enough provision, it's clean, and the loo roll dispensers are well stocked - a pet peeve - then I reckon it's a big thumbs up from me.

...Exam Rooms...

It's vile isn't it. Most of the buildings in University of Oxford are the same. Most former ladies loos are now gender neutral, are used by men and stink to high heaven. No safe spaces. When I go to Exam Rioms, I use the loo at John Lewis. UoOx isn't a fit place for women to work any more.

This is so misleading. You can even see on the sign right in front of you that the female only toilet is elsewhere. It's a non issue.

@redsplodge - is 'provision for 15 men' 15 cubicles, or say 5 cubicles and 10 urinals?

Were there plenty of toilets to go round?

Both of these impact on my sense of outrage.

Agree with your point on inadequate accessible toilet provision, given it's shared.