Rare book storage scheme under way
10:10am Friday 18th September 2009 in News
WORK is about to start on building a £15m storage facility for a priceless collection of 8,000,000 Bodleian Library books in Swindon.
Yesterday Oxford University staff, contract workers and councillors attended a ground-breaking ceremony on the facility’s site in Thornhill Road, South Marston.
The 120,000sq ft building will have special fire, temperature and humidity control systems to preserve the collection, which also comprises maps and journals.
Bodley’s librarian Sarah Thomas said: “Most of the collection is unique and irreplaceable. You can’t put a value on scholarship.
“The new Swindon facility unleashes all sorts of possibilities for us.
“It is a fantastic chance for us to transform our library into a modern 21st century facility.
“The land was here, the site had planning permission and we knew we could get up and running quickly. Instead of thinking outside the box, we thought outside the Oxford ring road.”
The repository is due to open in September.
The university considered Swindon after it was forced to look outside Oxford when a bid to store the books in Osney Meads fell through because of flooding fears.
Oxford University’s vice-chancellor John Hood said: “We look forward to a constructive relationship with Swindon over the decades and century ahead.”
Swindon Council leader, Rod Bluh, said: “We are delighted to be able to solve Oxford’s problems.
“It is great news for Swindon to have a name like Bodleian associated with it.
“It is an impressive project and one, which will be great for Swindon and links with Oxford.
“It is a very important national archive. The town is becoming a place of national treasures with the Science Museum and National Monuments Records Office here.
“This is all part of a strong story building for Swindon.”
Coun Doreen Dart (Con, Blunsdon) said: “It is wonderful that the collection is coming here. It fits in with the community.”
