Bodleian Libraries open £26m Book Storage Facility
Arts | University 07 Oct 10 Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford today unveiled its new £26-million Book Storage Facility (BSF), capable of holding 8.4 million volumes on 153 miles of shelving. The new book warehouse, in South Marston, near Swindon, will store lower-usage items from the Libraries' collections that had overwhelmed the existing bookstacks and required additional temporary storage in various locations in and outside Oxford. These collections will now be brought together at the BSF, including books, maps, manuscripts, microfilms, periodicals and newspapers primarily from the 18th century onwards. Over the next year nearly 6 million books will be moved into the BSF in what will be the biggest book move in the Bodleian's history. The Bodleian Libraries receive 1,000 new books every working day through Legal Deposit, purchases, donations and archive bequests. Every year the Libraries require an additional 3 miles of shelving. The BSF has the initial capacity to support the Library's projected collections' growth over the next 20 years with space on the 13-acre site to build additional storage space. Professor Andrew Hamilton, the University's Vice-Chancellor, said, 'The importance of the Bodleian Libraries and their extraordinary collections cannot be overestimated. The completion of the Book Storage Facility ensures that the Libraries' unparalleled collections are preserved and protected for future generations.' The completion of the Book Storage Facility ensures that the Libraries?
