Oxford University: A Look Inside the Bodleian Library’s Off-Site Storage Facility
Completed in late 2010, the £26m computerised and climate-controlled building began receiving books, journals and maps almost immediately. There are 153.5 miles of shelves, each more than 30 feet tall and accessed by a total of 31 aisles. The 129,900 sqare feet of floor took eight days to lay with 280 truckloads of concrete.
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The storage facility was built to relieve pressure on the Bodleian’s buildings in Oxford and houses items less frequently demanded by researchers, students and academics than those retained in Oxford. Nevertheless, items are still demanded at the rate of more than 5,000 a week. Thanks to a system of bar-codes on items, boxes and shelves, and staff using giant motorised platforms, these items are gathered and transported in large batches along the A420 within hours of being requested.
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See Also: Off-Site Storage: Bodleian Libraries Completes Swindon Move (December 27, 2011)
See Also: The Bodleian Libraries complete major book moves
See Also: Bodleian Libraries open £26m Book Storage Facility (Video)
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.