{"id":2290,"date":"2026-01-28T15:14:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T15:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/?p=2290"},"modified":"2026-01-28T15:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T15:14:20","slug":"beefcan-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/beefcan-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Beefcan\u00a0Close: The Story Behind a Main Library Study Room\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Study Room Name Series:  5. Beefcan Close <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever booked the Beefcan Close<\/strong> study room in the Main Library, you may have wondered where the name comes from. Like several study spaces across the Library, this room is named after a real place in Dundee\u2019s history \u2014 and it has a story worth knowing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What (and Where) Was Beefcan Close?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beefcan Close<\/strong> was one of Dundee\u2019s many historic closes \u2014 narrow passageways running off the city\u2019s main streets, particularly around the Nethergate and Seagate areas. These closes were a vital part of everyday life in the city from the medieval period onwards, forming busy routes between homes, workshops, storage spaces, and markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name\u00a0Beefcan<\/em>\u00a0is believed to come from the area\u2019s association with food storage and trade,\u00a0likely linked\u00a0to meat preservation and containers used by local merchants. Dundee was a thriving port and trading town, and places like\u00a0Beefcan\u00a0Close played a practical role in keeping the city running.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Streetwise:<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beefcan\u00a0Close, Dundee\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life in Dundee\u2019s Closes<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closes were not quiet, hidden corners \u2014 they were busy, noisy, and full of life. People lived, worked, traded, and socialised in these spaces. They reflected the realities of urban life in historic Dundee: close-knit communities, shared resources, and streets that served many purposes at once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many of these closes have disappeared due to redevelopment, their names live on in records, maps, and \u2014 in this case \u2014 within the University Library itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Old<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Old Dundee Closes … and other corners.\u00a0\u00a0Available at DJCAD Library\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Name a Study Room After a Close?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naming study rooms after historic Dundee locations helps connect the University community to the city\u2019s past. It\u2019s a reminder that Dundee has always been a place of learning, industry, and shared spaces \u2014 values that continue within the Library today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as Beefcan Close once brought people together for practical purposes, the Beefcan Close study room is now a space for collaboration, discussion, and focused work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beefcan Close Today<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Beefcan Close study room<\/strong>, located in the Main Library, middle floor, offers a modern space for group study and meetings. While the surroundings are very different from its historic namesake, the idea of a shared, purposeful space remains the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time you book the room<\/a>, take a moment to appreciate the link between your study session and Dundee\u2019s long history of work, trade, and community life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s just one of the many ways the Library quietly weaves local history into everyday university life \u2014 turning a simple room booking into a small connection with the city  beyond the campus walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture of beefcan close study room below <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Beef<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Study Room Name Series:  5. Beefcan Close  If you\u2019ve ever booked the Beefcan Close study room in the Main Library, you may have wondered where the name comes from. Like several study spaces across the Library, this room is named after a real place in Dundee\u2019s history \u2014 and it has a story worth knowing.  What (and Where) Was Beefcan Close?  Beefcan Close was one of Dundee\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":841,"featured_media":2004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,25,26,30],"tags":[56,47,58],"class_list":["post-2290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-dundee","category-facilities","category-studying","tag-library-help","tag-student-life","tag-study-room-name-series"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/841"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2290"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2292,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2290\/revisions\/2292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.dundee.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}